Michigan Posts Convincing Win Over No. 24 Illinois at VTC – University of Michigan Athletics

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #23 Michigan 4, #24 Illinois 0
Records: U-M (13-8, 7-2 B1G), Illinois (12-7, 5-3 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 6 – vs. Northwestern (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 23-ranked University of Michigan men’s tennis team cruised to a 4-0 win over No. 24 Illinois on Friday (April 4) at the Varsity Tennis Center.

The Wolverines won the doubles point for the fourth consecutive match. At No. 2, Patorn Hanchaikul and Benjamin Kittay started off breaking serve and won another break point as the duo closed on a three-game win streak. Will Cooksey and Alex Cairo recorded their third straight doubles win as the pair won the final three games to win a 6-3 match at No. 3.

Nicholas Steiglehner picked up the first singles win as he put up back-to-back 6-4 sets over Mathis Debru at No. 6.

Hanchaikul quickly made it 3-0, defeating Zach Viiala in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

Gavin Young clinched the team win with a victory at No. 1, his third match clincher of the season, taking down No. 16-ranked Kenta Miyoshi. It is his sixth win over a ranked opponent this season and marks the highest-ranked opponent he has defeated this season. In the first set, Young broke Miyoshi on a deuce point to take a 4-3 advantage and used it en route to a 6-4 first set. After the back-and-forth second set went into a tiebreaker, Young dominated, taking a 3-0 lead and finishing 7-2 for the 7-6 finish.

On Sunday (April 6), the Wolverines will honor Cooksey, Hanchaikul and Young on Senior Day before their noon match with Northwestern at the Varsity Tennis Center.

Following are match-by-match results

Singles
No. 1 – No. 79 Gavin Young (U-M) d. No. 16 Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois), 6-4, 7-6 (2)
No. 2 – No. 83 Will Cooksey (U-M) vs. No. 64 William Mroz (Illinois), 7-6 (6), 3-6 abandoned
No. 3 – No. 82 Benjamin Kittay (U-M) vs. Jeremy Zhang (Illinois), 3-6, 6-3, 3-2 abandoned
No. 4 – Bjorn Swenson (U-M) vs. Tyler Bowers (Illinois), 4-6, 6-4, 1-1 abandoned
No. 5 – Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M) d. Zach Viiala (Illinois), 6-1, 6-3
No. 6 – Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) vs. Mathis Debru (Illinois), 6-4, 6-4

Doubles
No. 1 – Gavin Young/Bjorn Swenson (U-M) vs. Kenta Miyoshi/Tyler Bowers (Illinois), 4-5 abandoned
No. 2 – Benjamin Kittay/Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M) d. William Mroz/Zach Viiala (Illinois), 6-2
No. 3 – Will Cooksey/Alex Cairo (U-M) d. Mathis Debru/Jeremy Zhang (Illinois), 6-3

Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3, Singles 6-5-1