University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
#13 Illinois
Vols Win Three Three-Setters to Down Illinois, 4-3
February 07, 2009 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 7, 2009
Matt Brewer, Boris Conkic and Matteo Fago all won three-set matches Saturday night to send eighth-ranked Tennessee to a come-from-behind 4-3 win over 13th-ranked Illinois at the Illini's Atkins Tennis Center.
"That was a tremendous atmosphere. Illinois did a tremendous job of having a great crowd there," UT head coach Sam Winterbotham said. "The crowd made it tough for our guys but that is why we schedule the way we do. We want our guys to play in these types of environments because it will only help us come tournament time.
"(Associate head coach) Chris (Woodruff) and I couldn't be prouder of how the team handled the pressure and environment. It was a complete team effort. We stuck together today and that is a great thing to see.
Illinois (4-2) was ahead 2-1 with the remaining four singles matches all heading into third sets. The difference in the match was Tennessee was able to win three of the four three-set matches.
Matteo Fago clinched the match for UT with a three-set come-from-behind victory at the No. 4 position. Fago lost the first set to 113th-ranked Meedo El Tabakh, 6-4. In the second set, Fago broke El Tabakh's serve early and was able to cruise to a 6-2 set win. The Italy native was able to sustain his momentum in the third set and never gave the Illinois junior a chance winning the set and the match, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
"Illinois had so many fans and it was so loud," Fago said. "It was hard to concentrate but I just had to not listen to them and pull through. I just kept playing better and better as the match went along and I knew my teammates were behind me and supporting me.
"It's one of the best wins of my life."
Fago would never have gotten a chance to be the hero if it was not for Matt Brewer. The UT junior battled back from a third-set deficit to tie the match at three. Brewer was trailing in the third set, 5-4, before rattling off 12 consecutive points to win the set and match, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
"I knew we needed both me and Matteo to win but I really just tried to put the situation out of my mind and play the best as I could," Brewer said. "Me, Matteo and Boris were all out there together. We supported each other and we all were able to pull through and show what UT tennis is all about."
Tennessee's first three-set victory was Conkic's at the No. 2 position. Conkic defeated Roelofse in three-sets at the No. 2 position. Conkic dominated the first and third set to knock off the Illinois freshman, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
UT won the doubles point to jump out to a 1-0 advantage. Davey Sandgren and John Patrick Smith defeated Illinois' top-duo of Dennis Nevolo and Ruan Roelofse 8-4 and Matt Brewer and Christian Hansen knocked off the Illini's Waylon Chin and Marek Czerwinski 8-6 at the No. 3 position to clinch the point for the Big Orange.
The Vols (5-0) could not carry over the doubles momentum into singles though, as Illinois captured the first set in four of the six matches and appeared ready to send UT to its first loss of the season.
Nevolo, ranked 41st in the ITA singles rankings, gave Smith his first loss of 2009 defeating the UT All-America 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 1 position.
Illinois took a 2-1 lead when Czerwinski defeated Hansen, the defending SEC Freshman of the Week, in straight-sets at the No. 5 position.
Illinois took its final lead of the match with Marc Spicijaric's 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win over Sandgren at the No. 3 position.
Tennessee returns to action next Friday in the ITA Indoor National Championships. The event is being at the Midway Club in Chicago. The tournament draw will be released Tuesday, Feb. 10.
| No. 8 Tennessee 4, No. 13 Illinois 3 | |
| SINGLES | |
| #41 Dennis Nevolo (UI) def. #50 John-Patrick Smith (UT) | 6-2, 6-4 |
| #103 Boris Conkic (UT) def. Ruan Roelofse (UI) | 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 |
| #101 Marc Spicijaric (UI) def. Davey Sandgren (UT) | 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 |
| Matteo Fago (UT) def. #113 Meedo El Tabakh (UI) | 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 |
| Marek Czerwinski (UI) def. Christian Hansen (UT) | 6-2, 7-5 |
| Matt Brewer (UT) def. Brian Livingston (UI) | 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 |
| Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 4 | |
| DOUBLES | |
| John-Patrick Smith/Davey Sandgren (UT) def. Dennis Nevolo/Ruan Roelofse (UI) | 8-4 |
| #21 Matteo Fago/Boris Conkic (UT) def. Brian Livingston/Marc Spicijaric (UI) | 8-6 |
| Christian Hansen/Matt Brewer (UT) def. Waylon Chin/Marek Czerwinski (UI) | 8-6 |
| Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2 | |
Players Mentioned
