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Mid-American Conference Play Awaits Men's Tennis

The Flames travel to Western Michigan Friday and Ball State Sunday

3/7/2024 11:45:00 AM

CHICAGO (March 7, 2024) – The UIC men's tennis program (7-3) opens Mid-American Conference play this weekend as the Flames travel to Western Michigan (8-3) Friday and Ball State (6-5) Sunday for conference road contests.  
 
The 2023-24 season marks UIC's first as an affiliate member of the MAC. Friday's match will start at 1 p.m. from the Sorensen Courts at West Hills Athletic Club, while Sunday's competition in Muncie, Ind. will take place at 12 p.m. at the Cardinal Creek Tennis Center.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
  • The Broncos are 8-3 on the season and have won six matches in a row dating back to Feb. 10.
  • WMU has three players on win streaks of six matches or longer in singles competition. Freshman Ashton Adesoro has won seven matches in a row while junior Anoton Arzhankin and freshman Matej Kajzer have won six in a row. Arzhankin in 9-1 over his last ten matches while Adesoro and Kajzer are 8-2.
  • Last season Western Michigan claimed the MAC Regular Season title before falling to Toledo in the conference championship match.
  • Since 2010, the Flames and Broncos have faced each other on the court every season except once (2022). All 14 matches over this period have taken place in Kalamazoo, Mich.
  • Fans can follow live results for Friday's match here.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
  • The Cardinals are 6-5 in 2023 and split their competition last week with a 4-0 win against Villanova and a 6-1 loss against Pacific in California.
  • UIC and Ball State have played three common opponents this season. Both programs have wins against Cleveland State and IUPUI and a loss against Eastern Kentucky.
  • Sunday's match is the first time the two teams have competed in at least 25 years. UIC did not track opponents prior to the 1999 season.
LAST MATCH
  •  Competing outside at the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts for the first time in 2024, the UIC men's tennis program extended its win streak to five with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Illinois State last Sunday. 
  • Tied at 3-3 in the team score, senior Gustavo Schwebel (Salvador, Brazil/Colegio Antonio Vieira) won his match at No. 6 singles to clinch the match victory for the Flames. The win kept UIC undefeated in home contests (4-0) this season and was the Flames' first victory over the Illinois State this millennium. ISU had previously won ten in a row against the Flames dating back to 2008.
  • The Flames won the doubles points behind victories from UIC's No. 1 pair of Randy Wilson (Miami, Fla./Florida Gulf Coast) and Mihailo Savic (Smederevska Palanka, Serbia/Sportska Gimnazija) and the No. 3 tandem of Aleksa Bucan (Belgrade, Serbia/Arkansas) and Robinson Le Meur's (Evreux, France/Sciences Po Bordeaux). UIC's No. 2 doubles team of Schwebel and Edoardo Bottino (Genoa, Italy/Queens University) were tied 5-5 with their Illinois State opponents, but their match went unfinished due to the Flames already securing the doubles point.
  • UIC extended its lead to 2-0 in the team score after Bucan cruised to a straight-sets victory at No. 2 singles.
  • After Illinois State won singles matches at the Nos. 4, 5 and 1 singles spots to take a 3-2 lead in the team score, Le Meur came away with a crucial 7-5 victory in set two of his match at No. 3 singles to sweep his opponent and tie the team score.
  • With the team match on the line, Schwebel swept his opponent, winning the second set via a 7-5 tie break to clinch the victory for the Flames.
THE SCORCHING-HOT FLAMES
  • UIC is currently on a five-match win streak and have won seven of its last eight matches.
  • The No. 3 doubles pair of Bucan and Le Meur is 7-1 on the season and has won five matches in a row.
  • Bucan is currently on a five-match win streak in singles competition. The senior has the team-lead with eight singles victories in 2024.
  • Le Meur has won seven-straight singles competitions when competing at the No. 3 singles spot. The sophomore played at the No. 2 position in UIC's match Friday at Marquette.
FOLLOW THE FLAMES
  • For more information on the UIC men's tennis program, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MTEN and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_mten and @uicflames).
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