CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team saw its nine-match unbeaten streak end on Friday as the Huskies fell to 19th-ranked Illinois, 4-0. The setback, NIU's first since the opening weekend of the season, drops the Huskies to 9-3 on the season. 

"It was a tough day for us today," said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. "I thought we gave Illinois to much respect and by the time we figured out that we can play with them, it was too late. We did have some positives to take away from today, we were in half the singles matches and from one through four, those guys were fighting their tails off that was awesome to see, we just need that at all nine spots, doubles and singles.

"Tomorrow is going to be great, SIU has their best team they have had since I've been here and it's going to be a good one."

Illinois took the first point of the afternoon with a pair of wins at first and second doubles. Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic downed senior Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley/University of Denver) and junior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun), 6-1, at number one while Alex Jesse and Aleks Kovacevic claimed a 6-2 victory over junior Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) and junior Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium). 

In singles play, Lundkvist took the first set in his match at number two, 6-2, against Gui Gomes; Lundkvist dropped the second set, 6-0, but was leading 1-0 in the third when the matches were halted with the overall team result decided. At number three, Hjertonsson won the first set, 6-4, over Zeke Clark, and was on serve in the second, 3-4. 

The Fighting Illini took the matches at one, four and six in straight sets to clinch the match however. Julian Childers topped Marbach at number one, 6-3, 6-2, Noe Khlif earned a 6-1, 6-2 victory over senior Carlos Manzanas (Madrid, Spain/IES Principe Felipe) at number four and Vuk Budic was a 6-2, 6-0 victor over junior Austin Russell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) at number six. 

NIU will continue its three-match road weekend on Saturday, Feb. 25, when the Huskies visit Southern Illinois before closing the weekend at Illinois State on Sunday, Feb. 26. 

#19 Illinois 4, Northern Illinois 0

Doubles
1. Hiltzik/Vukic (Illinois) def. Marbach/Lundkvist (NIU) 6-1
2. Jesse/Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Hamel/Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-2
3. Clark/Gomes (Illinois) vs. Russell/Manzanas (NIU) 5-3, unf.

Singles
1. Julian Childers (Illinois) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Gui Gomes (Illinois) vs. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) 2-6, 6-0, 0-1, unf.
3. Zeke Clark (Illinois) vs. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 4-6, 4-3, unf.
4. Noe Khlif (Illinois) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) vs. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) 7-6, 1-0, unf.  
6. Vuk Budic (Illinois) def. Austin Russell (NIU) 6-2, 6-0