Feb. 18, 2012
NORMAL, Ill. —The University of Iowa men’s tennis team fell to Illinois State 5-2 on Saturday at the Evergreen Racquet Club. Iowa falls to 1-5 on the season while the Redbirds improved to 3-3.
Junior Garret Dunn and sophomore Chase Tomlins again provided a lift for Iowa in singles play. Dunn won his fourth consecutive match with a 7-6, 7-6 win against Illinois State’s Juuso Ojanen in No. 6 singles. Dunn has a 4-1 singles record. Tomlins won his second straight match since being inserted into the lineup. Tomlins earned a three-set victory over Willi Peter in No. 5 singles, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5.
Sophomore Joey White made his first dual appearance of his collegiate career, falling by the slimmest of margins to Muddappa Appanervand, 7-6, 7-6. Freshman Matt Hagan won his first set 6-0 in No. 2 singles, but wound up falling in three sets.
Senior Will Vasos and Tomlins were victorious in their first time playing doubles together this season. Vasos and Tomlins defeated Illinois State’s Skip Span and Jordan Badenko 8-2 in No. 3 doubles as Iowa jumped out in front. Illinois State won the next two doubles matches to claim the point as Iowa fell behind heading into singles for just the second time this season.
Iowa plays Western Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the West Hills Athletic Club in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Illinois State 5, Iowa 2
Singles
No. 1 – Alexander Pelaez (ISU) def. Jonas Dierckx (IOWA) 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 – Tuomas Manner (ISU) def. Matt Hagan (IOWA) 0-6, 7-6, 6-5
No. 3 – Skip Span (ISU) def. Will Vasos (IOWA) 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 – Garret Dunn (IOWA) def. Juuso Ojanen (ISU) 7-6, 7-6
No. 5 – Chase Tomlins (IOWA) def. Willi Peter (ISU) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
No. 6- Muddappa Appanervand (ISU) def. Joey White (IOWA) 7-6, 7-6
Order of finish: 3, 1, 4 , 6, 2, 5
Doubles
No. 1 – Pelaez/Manner (ISU) def. Dunn/Michael Swank (IOWA) 9-8
No. 2 – Peter/Appanervand (ISU) def. Dierckx/Hagan (IOWA) 8-4
No. 3 – Vasos/Tomlins (IOWA) def. Span/Jordan Badenko (ISU) 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1