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Men’s Tennis Drops Close Battle with Big Blue

Titans return to the court tomorrow, April 16

4/15/2022 5:10:00 PM

DECATUR, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's tennis team was edged, 5-4, by Millikin University in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play Friday, April 15. The Titans secured wins at No. 3 doubles and No. 1, 5, and 6 singles.

During doubles play, the Titans and Big Blue fought hard in each game, although Millikin came out on top to win two out of the three matches. Senior Shanku Nair (Bloomington Ill.-Normal Community) and freshman Zeke Cross (Springfield, Ill.-Springfield) defeated Millikin's No. 3 doubles duo, 8-5 to earn the Green and White's only doubles point of the day.

At No. 1 doubles, senior Demetrios Triantafel (Indian Head Park, Ill.-LaGrange Lyons) and junior Carter Burk (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal U High) were outlasted by Millikin's No. 1 duo, 8-6. Similarly at No. 2 doubles, sophomore Ryan McCoy (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Rolling Meadows) and fifth-year senior Justin Piotrowski (Palatine, Ill.-Fremd) won five games but were bested by an overall score of 8-5.

Triantafel, at No. 1 singles, got IWU a point after taking on Millikin's No. 1 player, Clayton Maack. Triantafel got off on the right foot to take the first set, 6-4 before dropping, 6-2 in set two to push his match into the tiebreaker set. In the tiebreaker, Triantafel came out on top, 10-5 to get the set and game point for the Titans.

Also in singles play, Piotrowski and Cross were victorious in their individual matches at No. 5 and 6 singles, respectively. Piotrowski won his match in two sets with scores of, 7-6 (10-8) and 6-2, as Cross swept his match recording set-scores of 6-2 and 6-3.

The Titans are back in action tomorrow, Saturday, April 16 against Augustana College in the Titans final regular-season away game for a 10 a.m. start.

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