University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Illinois
Minnesota Upsets No. 3 Illinois in Thriller
4/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Complete Results | Photo Gallery
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 33 Minnesota men's tennis team came from behind to upset third-ranked Illinois, 4-3, Friday night at the Baseline Tennis Center. The Gophers, now 18-6 overall, are in a three-way tie with the Illini and No. 11 Ohio State atop the Big Ten standings with one match left to play in the regular season. Each team is 9-1 in conference competition.
The victory gave Minnesota a 10-6 record against ranked opponents and an 11-0 mark at home in 2015.
With team points at a premium, the Gophers got off to an auspicious start by taking the doubles competition for the 20th time in 24 matches this season. No. 47-ranked Jack Hamburg and Mathieu Froment earned their fifth win of the year over a ranked tandem, downing No. 60 Jared Hiltzik and Tim Kopinski, 8-4. To make it 1-0, Leandro Toledo and Felix Corwin won a tiebreaker at the No. 2 spot.
Together, Toledo and Corwin are now 19-2 with a 16-1 record in dual-match play.
Hamburg doubled Minnesota's lead with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 57th-ranked Aleks Vukic at No. 5, but the Illini stormed back to take a 3-2 lead with wins at position Nos. 4, 1 and 3.
Freshman Matic Spec knotted the score at three with his team-leading 28th win of the season at the second spot. The Maribor, Slovenia native dropped his first set, but rallied to dispatch 23rd-ranked Hiltzik in three sets.
Spec has now won his last 11 singles matches. Hiltzik lost for just the second time in 20 spring singles matches and for the first time in conference play.
To clinch the win, Mathieu Froment offset a first-set loss at No. 6 with a 6-4 win in the second set. In the third set, the Longwy, France native fended off two match points when down 6-5 before going on to win in a 7-2 tiebreaker.
The Gophers can clinch a share of their first Big Ten regular-season title since 1995 with a Senior Day win over No. 27-ranked Northwestern Sunday at noon at the Baseline Tennis Center. They will travel to Urbana, Ill. next week to compete at the Big Ten Tournament.
No. 33 Minnesota 4, No. 3 Illinois 3
Minneapolis, Minn. (Baseline Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. No. 75 Farris Gosea (ILL) def. No. 21 Leandro Toledo (MINN) 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 94 Matic Spec (MINN) def. No. 23 Jared Hiltzik (ILL) 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2
3. No. 56 Tim Kopinski (ILL) def. Ruben Weber (MINN) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
4. No. 64 Aron Hiltzik (ILL) def. Felix Corwin (MINN) 6-2, 6-3
5. Jack Hamburg (MINN) def. No. 57 Aleks Vukic (ILL) 6-4, 6-4
6. Mathieu Froment (MINN) def. Blake Bazarnik (ILL) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
Doubles competition
1. No. 47 Jack Hamburg/Mathieu Froment (MINN) def. No. 60 Jared Hiltzik/Tim Kopinski (ILL) 8-4
2. Felix Corwin/Leandro Toledo (MINN) def. Aron Hiltzik/Ross Guignon (ILL) 8-7 (3)
3. Matic Spec/Eric Frueh (MINN) vs. Farris Gosea/Aleks Vukic (ILL) 7-6, unfinished
Match Notes
Illinois 21-4 (9-1 Big Ten)
Minnesota 18-6 (9-1 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,4,1,3,2,6)
Players Mentioned
