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Gophers Take the Road against Northwestern, Illinois
4/1/2021 1:13:00 PM | Men's Tennis
A pair of rematches on the docket for the Maroon & Gold
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The University of Minnesota men's tennis team is set for a road weekend against two familiar opponents in Northwestern and Illinois.
Minnesota will face off against the Wildcats first on Friday, April 2 at 5:30PM, before heading to Urbana-Champaign on Sunday, April 4 to take on Illinois at noon.
The Gophers (7-4) split the home weekend against the two foes earlier in the season, including an upset victory over the then-No. 24 ranked Northwestern.
Setting the Stage
The Maroon & Gold have been playing their best tennis as of late, winning six out of their last 7 contests, including a dominant performance last weekend that resulted in a pair of 6-1 victories over Purdue and Indiana.
The doubles pairing of Jackson Allen and Sebastian Vile stepped up in a big way last weekend, going 2-0 in the No. 1 doubles slot last weekend. The squad has also seen a resurgence in the singles lineup, as four singles players have at least a two-match win streak.
Minnesota still holds the No. 9 doubles pairing of Vlad Lobak and Siim Troost as well.
Tale of the Tape - The Wildcats
47th-ranked Northwestern has taken a bit of a tumble in the rankings since they visited Baseline Tennis Center earlier in the season, but still prove to be a formidable B1G opponent coming into this weekend's contest.
The Wildcats are 8-5 on the season, but are coming off a loss to a ranked Michigan team last weekend. The squad is led by doubles pairing Simen Bratholm and Nick Brookes, who hold a victory over the Gopher pairing of Troost and Lobak.
Minnesota has the advantage in the all-time series with a record of 53-51-1, as well as the most recent victory, defeating Northwestern 4-3 in upset fashion earlier in the year.
Tale of the Tape - The Fighting Illini
The No. 12 Fighting Illini come into the weekend as one of the nation's top teams at 12-2, and have not suffered a loss since they last squared off against the Gophers.
Illinois houses a deep lineup that includes four ranked singles players as well as two ranked doubles pairings.
Minnesota trails in the all-time series with a record of 33-44, most recently dropping a home contest by a score of 5-2 against the Illini.
How to Follow Along
Follow along on Twitter at @GopherMTennis for live updates throughout the weekend and look for a recap following this weekend's action on GopherSports.com