UIC will return to the Horizon League Men's Tennis Tournament as the fifth seed, starting Friday with a quarterfinal match against #4 Green Bay. The match will get under way at 2:00 pm Central; however if weather forces the match indoors, it will start at 5:00. The Flames finished with a 3-4 conference record, while Green Bay stands at 5-2. The rivals will meet for the 10
th time in postseason play. The Phoenix hold a 5-4 edge in tournament matches.
Service
- Johan Hedstrom enters the tournament as the Flames' #1 singles player. He spent most of the season at #2 before being elevated to the top spot for the last three matches, beginning with the regular season meeting with Green Bay.
- Marco Nanni has steadily improved the whole season, moving from the #5 singles flight to the #3 slot in the process. He has a team high seven singles wins on the year.
- Marcelo Dib is tied with Nanni for the team lead in Horizon League singles wins, with four.
Return
- The Flames last appeared in the Horizon League tournament in 2016. They were eliminated by Northern Kentucky in the first round.
- The year prior, UIC defeated Youngstown State in the first round before falling to Green Bay in the semifinals.
- Dib is the lone current Flame with postseason experience, as he played singles and doubles in the Northern Kentucky match as a freshman.
Winner
- Nanni and Dib were victorious in singles play against Green Bay on April 19. Nanni was a 6-3, 6-3 winner at #3, and Dib won his match at #4, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
- Kailash Panchapakesan won his first set but ultimately succumbed in three sets. Hedstrom and William Wale led their doubles set when play was halted.
- The match was delayed four days due to heavy snow in Green Bay.
Scouting Green Bay
- The Phoenix' win over UIC was their fourth straight, en route to a five match winning streak to end the regular season.
- Florian Kraenzler was named a First Team All-Horizon League player. He was 5-2 in the conference and 13-5 overall in the #1 singles spot.
- James Ling earned second team honors. He was 5-2 in the conference as well, all in Green Bay's #2 flight.
