UIC raced out to a 3-0 lead over Chicago State in Sunday morning's match, but the Cougars rallied with four straight wins to take a 4-3 win at H-F Racquet Club.
The doubles point and the first two singles matches went UIC's way. Six different Flames contributed by winning the team's first three points of the season. Three of the last four singles matches went to a third set, and Chicago State won them all to complete the comeback.
"It was a good start in doubles," head coach
Hans Neufeld said. "In singles, Anthony [Nguyen] and Kailash [Panchapakesan] came up with quick wins to put us up 3-0. It was a disappointing loss, but not for lack of effort. We will get back to work on Monday."
Doubles Results
Singles Results
- Playing on the #6 court, Panchapakesan made quick work of his counterpart, 6-2, 6-1.
- Nguyen also rebounded from the doubles loss to get a singles win at #5, 7-5, 6-3.
- Wasilewicz played two competitive sets in his #1 match but fell 7-5, 7-6 (3).
- Parlklo had a chance to close out the match after winning the second set, but fell in the third, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, in the #3 flight.
- Pelle Strandberg was the next Flame with a chance to clinch the team win, but after winning the first set at #4, was victim to a Cougar comeback, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
- Hedstrom played the tense, critical match at #2 that would decide each team's fate. After two tiebreakers, one going to each team, it was just a broken serve that tipped the scales toward Chicago State in the third set, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (4), 6-4.
Up Next
- The Flames will meet another local rival on Saturday.
- UIC will take on DePaul in a 3:00 pm match.
