CHICAGO (April 11, 2024) – The UIC men's tennis program concludes its regular season this weekend, with two home matches. The Flames host Western Michigan (14-5, 6-2 MAC) Friday afternoon and Ball State (11-8, 5-3 MAC) Sunday. Both matches start at 12 p.m. and will take place at either the XS Tennis Village or the Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts. Sunday's match will also be UIC's Senior Day.
 
SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN

• Western Michigan is currently 14-5 on the season and 6-2 in conference play. The Broncos are currently in second-place in the Mid-American Conference standings.
• The Flames fell to the Broncos 5-2 earlier this season.
• WMU is on a 15-match win streak against UIC dating back to 2010.
• Five Broncos student-athletes have ten or more singles victories this season. Junior Anton Arzhankin is 17-2 in 2024, competing at the Nos. 1 and 2 singles spots. He has won nine of his last ten matches.

SCOUTING BALL STATE

• The Cardinals are 11-8 overall and 5-3 in MAC competition in 2024. The program is currently in fourth-place in the conference standings.
• In the first match between the two programs this season, Ball State came away with the 6-1 victory. March's contest was the first meeting between the two programs in UIC's history.
• Eli Herran leads Ball State with 14 wins in 2024. The graduate student is 7-0 in MAC competition and on an eight-match win streak. He's 9-1 over his last ten matches.

LAST MATCH RECAP

• UIC won its second conference match of the season last Sunday, as the Flames defeated Buffalo 5-2 at the Miller Tennis Center.  
• In singles competition, Randy Wilson (Miami, Fla./Florida Gulf Coast) made quick work of his opponent at No. 1 singles, winning his match in straight sets.
• At No. 3 singles, Edoardo Bottino (Genoa, Italy/Queens University) swept his Buffalo counterpart 6-3, 6-3 to win his ninth match of the season.
• Robinson Le Meur (Evreux, France/Sciences Po Bordeaux) clinched the match victory for the Flames with a three-set victory at No. 2 singles. The sophomore has a team-high 12 wins in 2024, while Sunday's victory was his second competing at No. 2 singles.
• With the team victory in hand, Elliott Dam (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) won his second match in a row, defeating Buffalo's Ryan Thompson at No. 6 singles in three sets.

SENIOR DAY ON SUNDAY

• UIC will honor its five-member senior class prior to Sunday's match against Ball State.
• The Flames' five seniors are Edoardo Bottino (Genoa, Italy/Queens University), Aleksa Bucan (Belgrade, Serbia/Arkansas), Gustavo Schwebel (Salvador, Brazil/Colegio Antonio Vieira), Artem Iermolov (Las Vegas, Nev./Clark) and Randy Wilson (Miami, Fla./Florida Gulf Coast).
• The Senior Day festivities will take place starting at 11:45 a.m.

SWEET HOME CHICAGO

• This weekend's matches are the final two home matches for the Flames this season.
• UIC has a 6-2 record in home matches this season.
• The six home victories are the most for the Flames since the 2010 season.

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).