Tennessee tennis took home a 4-2 over Illinois to start ITA Kickoff Weekend.
The No. 14 Vols (4-1) responded well in singles after losing the doubles point to Illinois (0-1), sealing the win.
The win over the Fighting Illini was a crucial component to the Vols’ main goal of the indoor season, qualifying for indoor nationals. They will get a shot tomorrow against Michigan to make the cut.
Here are some takeaways from the win.
Vols struggle in doubles
Tennessee struggled out of the gate, losing the doubles point, 2-1. All three courts struggled, but the pair of Alan Jesudason and Jan Kobierski were able to push back and snag a 6-4 win for Tennessee’s only in doubles.
Despite a late comeback attempt, Shunsuke Mitsui and Alex Kotzen fell, 6-4, on Court 1.
With the score tied 1-1, the deciding point came down to Alejandro Moreno and James Newton. Once again, they were faced with adversity, down 5-3 with all eyes on them. They managed to pull within a point of tying it, but Illinois closed the match out and winning, 6-4.
“We were flat to begin with,” associate head coach Matt Lucas said. “Not hitting our shots, not hitting our serves. We just have to be sharper, doubles is a 20 minute sprint sometimes, so there’s no time off so we have to be ready to go.”
Kotzen rises up
Kotzen fell behind early in the first set but took control the rest of the way in a 6-4 win. He carried the momentum into the second set, dominating Kenta Miyoshi 6-3 in the second set.
“That’s just what Alex does,” Lucas said. “He’s one of the top players in the country and so we expect that out of him.”
Mitsui banged up in win
No. 18 Mitsui went down in the second set of his singles match against William Mroz. He initially went down holding his leg but was seen sporting a wrap on his right elbow when he returned and had a wrap under his knee after the match.
Mitsui took the first set, 6-4, but was already down by two points in the second set when he was injured. Mroz took the second set, winning 6-3.
In the final set, Mitsui battled through the injury, which was evidenced by his play. After having his horns locked with Mroz through the first four points, he pulled away and won 6-4 in the third set.
“He’s a warrior, he’s been through some battles for this program,” Lucas said. “Even if he’s a little dinged up, he’s going to fight all the way.”
Moreno closes out the victory
Moreno closed out the day, defeating Zach Viiala, 6-4, in the third set. Moreno won the first set, 6-1, but Viiala was relentless. He took a 7-5 victory in the second set to force the third.
With Jose Garcia finishing off Jeremy Zhang just before, Moreno’s match proved to be the final one of the day for the Vols. He took an early lead, but pushback from Viiala would nearly take it to the edge. Moreno finished him off, 6-4, sealing the victory.
Up next
Tennessee will host Michigan on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the ITA Kickoff Weekend championship match. The Vols and the No. 25 Wolverines will have a lot on the line for this match, which includes a spot into the Indoor National Championships later this season.
