In their season opening doubleheader, the Flames got a taste of high level competition against a defending conference champion.  Western Michigan swept the twinbill, 7-0, 7-0, as they started their defense of the MAC title.  UIC was able to juggle its doubles pairings from the first match to the second, and shake up its singles lineup, to find out how veterans and newcomers alike responded to different settings.

Freshman Pelle Strandberg came the closest to earning a singles point in each match.  Though he played three tiebreakers in his four sets, none went his way.  Classmate Anthony Nguyen was also in the doubles and singles lineups in both matches.  A battle tested roster of upperclassmen comprised the rest of the team's entries.  The Broncos, tested to perhaps a greater extent with deep conference tournament runs, sent the Flames down via sweep in each matchup on the day.

Doubles Results – Match 1

• Pelle Strandberg and Anthony Nguyen, two freshmen playing for the first time together, lost the #3 set 6-1.
• Johan Hedstrom and Kailash Panchapakesan, also first-time teammates, lost 6-3 at #2.
• Niko Wasilewicz and William Wale took the #1 set to the brink but ultimately fell 7-6 (7-4).

Singles Results – Match 1

• Johan Hedstrom started the season in the #1 slot, where he was a 2-and-2 victim to Jannik Opitz.
• Nguyen competed in the #5 flight and went down by the same score.
• Wale got stronger in his second set at #6, but still could not force a tiebreaker, 6-3, 6-4.
• Wasilewicz, playing at #2, did force a tiebreaker in the second set, but was unable to move the match to a third set, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
• Panchapakesan was as close as possible to winning his first set, but after losing the tiebreaker he could not carry momentum into the second, losing 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 in the #4 slot.
• Strandberg was the Flames' last and best chance to get a point, but two tiebreakers did not go his way at #3, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5).

Doubles Results – Match 2

• Wasilewicz and Wale moved to the #2 doubles flight in the nightcap, where they were on the short end of a 6-1 score.
• Panchapakesan and Nguyen teamed up at #3, and were able to win two games in a 6-2 defeat.
• Hedstrom and Strandberg were shuffled together in the #1 slot, but they were unable to solve the Broncos, 6-4.

Singles Results – Match 2

• Panchapakesan moved up to #3 singles, where he ran into a buzzsaw in a 6-1, 6-1 setback.
• Wale likewise moved up one notch, to #5, but was shut down 6-3, 6-0.
• Wasilewicz took the lead in the second match, competing at #1, where he met a similar fate, 6-4, 6-3.
• Hedstrom slid down to #2 where he found a good matchup for parts of his match.  In the end he dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision.
• Nguyen competed at #6 and showed improvement from set to set, but finished on the wrong end of a 6-2, 6-4 score.
• Strandberg once again gave UIC their best chance to avoid a shutout, playing at #4, but two long sets went WMU's way, 7-5, 7-6 (6-4).

Up Next

• The Flames get a week off, but will jump right back into the fire on January 26.
• The team will face reigning Big East champion Marquette in Milwaukee two Saturdays from now.
• Two more road matches within Chicago city limits are lined up following that showdown, as UIC will play Chicago State and DePaul next.