CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –The 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team concluded its 2018 campaign Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill., falling 4-0 to the ninth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
For seniors Tate Allwardt, Lachlan McPhee and Baker Newman, Sunday’s match was the trio’s final time representing Vanderbilt in the field of competition.
“This is a special group, and we were aiming for more than an NCAA second-round finish,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage. “There is definitely a sense of unfinished business. We came into the match thinking that the doubles point would be pivotal in this matchup, and we were right. While we had opportunities to take three singles matches, everything came down to dropping that doubles point.”
However, the season isn’t over for senior Daniel Valent, junior Cameron Klinger and Sophomore Billy Rowe, as all three student-athletes will represent VU in the NCAA Individual Tournament. Individuals take place in Winston-Salem, N.C, at the conclusion of the team tournament.
“Looking ahead, we’re going to take a day off and then we have graduation on Tuesday,” continued Duvenhage. “After that, we will put the team tournament behind us and focus on the individual tournament. I feel that Danny and Cam could have a very successful singles tournament, and I see great things for Cam and Billy in the doubles tournament.”
The Commodores advanced to the Round of 32 match against Illinois with a 4-2 victory over Drake on Saturday. Sunday’s second-round contest began with competitive doubles play, with key points going in the Illini’s favor.
Illinois earned the first win on the day with an upset over the Dores’ 11th-ranked team of Klinger/Rowe. Unranked Caleb Chakravarthi and Alex Brown limited the Commodore duo to three games in a 6-3 loss. The defeat was the tandem’s second loss in nine matches.
Courts two and three found themselves in back-and-forth battles late, with just one game separating each team on either court. Illinois’ Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Kovacevic battled back from a 4-1 deficit to take the match and clinch the doubles point over McPhee and Maxwell Freeman, 7-5, on two. George Harwell and Newman trailed 5-6 on court three at the conclusion of tandems.
The Commodores fought hard heading into singles play, but the host school continued to apply pressure. Illinois took three matches in a row and secured its place in the NCAA round of 16.
Freeman was first to fall on court five, suffering a 6-2, 6-2 setback at the hands of Zeke Clark. The Illini’s Kovacevic earned the home team the 3-0 advantage, downing Rowe on court four, 6-3, 6-2.
No. 31 Valent was nearing what would be his 108th career victory when UI’s 13th-ranked Aleks Vukic clinched the match over No. 26 Klinger, 6-4, 6-4. Valent led Brown 6-3, 5-4 (30-30) at the conclusion of the match. The 108thvictory would have broken VU’s all-time career singles win record. However, the senior still has a chance at the record in NCAA singles tournament play.
Illinois 4, Vanderbilt 0
Singles:
Aleks Vukic (UI) def. Cameron Klinger (VANDY) 6-4, 6-4 Alex Brown (UI) vs. Daniel Valent (VANDY) 3-6, 4-5, unfinished Aron Hiltzik (UI) vs. Baker Newman (VANDY) 7-6, 0-2, unfinished Aleks Kovacevic (UI) def. Billy Rowe (VANDY) 6-3, 6-2 Zeke Clark (UI) def. Maxwell Freeman (VANDY) 6-2, 6-2 Caleb Chakravarthi (UI) vs. George Harwell (VANDY) 6-2, 2-5, unfinished
Doubles:
Alex Brown/Caleb Chakravarthi (UI) def. Cameron Klinger/Billy Rowe (VANDY) 6-3 Aron Hiltzik/Aleks Kovacevic (UI) def. Maxwell Freeman/Lachlan McPhee (VANDY) 7-5 Vuk Budic/Aleks Vukic (UI) vs. George Harwell/Baker Newman (VANDY) 6-5, unfinished
