Illinois Fighting Illini men's tennis
Encyclopedia
The Illinois Fighting Illini
men's tennis team is a NCAA Division I college tennis team competing in the Big Ten Conference
. The team plays its home matches at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Illinois
.
The Illini have been one of the most successful men's tennis program in the nation over the past fifteen seasons, winning nine consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1997-2005; six of seven Big Ten Tournament Championships between 1999 and 2005; appearing in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen eleven times, including eight years in a row (2002-09); advancing to three NCAA Final Fours between 2003 and 2007; and winning the 2003 NCAA National Championship
.
They have also won two ITA National Team Indoor Championships (2003,2004) and lost in the championship match three other times (1998,1999,2002).
Illinois men's tennis owns the record for longest consecutive win streak in NCAA history at 64 matches, spanning from their first match of the 2002-2003 season and ending with a 4-2 defeat by UCLA in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament.
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
men's tennis team is a NCAA Division I college tennis team competing in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. The team plays its home matches at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
.
History
The Illinois men's tennis program was founded in 1908, but has enjoyed most of its success in recent years.The Illini have been one of the most successful men's tennis program in the nation over the past fifteen seasons, winning nine consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1997-2005; six of seven Big Ten Tournament Championships between 1999 and 2005; appearing in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen eleven times, including eight years in a row (2002-09); advancing to three NCAA Final Fours between 2003 and 2007; and winning the 2003 NCAA National Championship
NCAA Men's Tennis Championship
The NCAA Men's Tennis Championships are held to crown a team, individual, and doubles champion in American college tennis. The first intercollegiate championship was held in 1883, 23 years before the founding of the NCAA, with Harvard's Joseph Clark taking the singles title...
.
They have also won two ITA National Team Indoor Championships (2003,2004) and lost in the championship match three other times (1998,1999,2002).
Illinois men's tennis owns the record for longest consecutive win streak in NCAA history at 64 matches, spanning from their first match of the 2002-2003 season and ending with a 4-2 defeat by UCLA in the semifinals of the 2004 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament.
Individual NCAA Champions
| Singles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | |
| 2003 | Amer Delic Amer Delic Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team.... |
|
| Doubles | ||
| Year | Team | |
| 2000 | Cary Franklin & Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver is an American professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, he won four titles during his career.... |
|
| 2003 | Rajeev Ram Rajeev Ram Rajeev Ram is an American professional tennis player on the ATP Tour. Rajeev is a tall, lanky player with a serve-and-volley style who is known best as a doubles specialist. He has advanced as far as the quarter-finals in doubles at three Grand Slams, most recently with Scott Lipsky at the 2011... & Brian Wilson |
|
| 2007 | Kevin Anderson Kevin Anderson (tennis) Kevin Anderson is a male South African tennis player.He became the top-ranked South African player on 10 March 2008 after making the final at the 2008 Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas... & Ryan Rowe |
|
All-Americans
| Year | Player |
| 1997-98 | Gavin Sontag |
| 1998-99 | Cary Franklin, Oliver Freelove |
| 1999-2000 | Cary Franklin, Jeff Laski, Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver is an American professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, he won four titles during his career.... |
| 2000-01 | Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver Graydon Oliver is an American professional tennis player. A doubles specialist, he won four titles during his career.... , Amer Delic Amer Delic Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team.... |
| 2001-02 | Amer Delic Amer Delic Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team.... , Michael Calkins |
| 2002-03 | Amer Delic Amer Delic Amer Delić is a Bosnian tennis player. Representing the United States as a tour player until 2009, he now represents the country of his birth, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is a member of its Davis Cup team.... , Rajeev Ram Rajeev Ram Rajeev Ram is an American professional tennis player on the ATP Tour. Rajeev is a tall, lanky player with a serve-and-volley style who is known best as a doubles specialist. He has advanced as far as the quarter-finals in doubles at three Grand Slams, most recently with Scott Lipsky at the 2011... , Brian Wilson |
| 2003-04 | Phil Stolt, Brian Wilson |
| 2004-05 | Ryler DeHeart Ryler DeHeart Ryler DeHeart is an American professional tennis player. He reached his singles career high ranking of 174 on May 3, 2010. He is coached by Brad Dancer.-Professional career:... , Kevin Anderson Kevin Anderson (tennis) Kevin Anderson is a male South African tennis player.He became the top-ranked South African player on 10 March 2008 after making the final at the 2008 Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas... |
| 2005-06 | Kevin Anderson Kevin Anderson (tennis) Kevin Anderson is a male South African tennis player.He became the top-ranked South African player on 10 March 2008 after making the final at the 2008 Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas... , Ryler DeHeart Ryler DeHeart Ryler DeHeart is an American professional tennis player. He reached his singles career high ranking of 174 on May 3, 2010. He is coached by Brad Dancer.-Professional career:... , Ryan Rowe |
| 2006-07 | Kevin Anderson Kevin Anderson (tennis) Kevin Anderson is a male South African tennis player.He became the top-ranked South African player on 10 March 2008 after making the final at the 2008 Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas... , Ryan Rowe |
| 2010-11 | Dennis Nevolo |