THIS WEEK:
No. 32 Iowa will play its first conference road matches of the season. The Hawkeyes will take on No. 9 Illinois in Champaign at the Atkins Tennis Center on Friday (5 p.m.), followed by a contest against No. 29 Northwestern in Evanston at the Combe Tennis Center on Sunday (noon).
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE:
Fans can follow the action from every home match this season with live scoring and/or live stream via PlaySight. Click on the live links on the Iowa Men’s Tennis Schedule webpage at hawkeyesports.com.
ON IOWA:
The 32nd-ranked Hawkeyes are a veteran squad featuring seven upperclassmen and two freshmen. Kareem Allaf is in his sixth year in the program; Jason Kerst is a fifth-year senior, while Will Davies and Joe Tyler are in their fourth year at Iowa.
The Hawkeyes have won their first three home matches of the season.
Tyler won all four of his singles and doubles decision in February. Davies is 3-0 in singles and 6-0 in doubles this spring, while Allaf has won all five of his singles decisions and his last three doubles matches.
#9 ILLINOIS BREAKDOWN:
• The Fighting Illini are 6-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play. Illinois won its last two matches, winning at Wisconsin (6-1) and at Minnesota (5-2) last weekend.
• Four Illini are nationally ranked in singles: Alex Brown (15), Aleksandar Kovacevic (35), Siphosothando Montsi (82), and Zeke Clark (112). The doubles team of Brown/Kovacevic is ranked 16th nationally.
• Iowa is 21-66 all-time against Illinois. The Illini beat the Hawkeyes, 5-1, in the last meeting on March 31, 2019, in Champaign.
#29 NORTHWESTERN BREAKDOWN:
• The Wildcats are 3-3 overall, including a 2-2 mark in conference play. Northwestern has alternated wins and losses since its season opening defeat at North Carolina on Jan. 24.
• Two Wildcats are nationally ranked in singles: Dominik Starý (58) and Steven Forman (88). Bratholm/Brookes are ranked 57th nationally in doubles.
• Iowa is 26-67 all-time against Northwestern. The Wildcats beat the Hawkeyes, 6-1, in the last meeting on March 30, 2019, in Evanston.
DEFENDING HOME COURT:
Iowa has won its first three home matches of the 2021 season. The Hawkeyes have won 17 of their last 19 matches in the HTRC, dating back to April, 2019.
HAWKEYE NOTEABLES:
• Kareem Allaf is ranked a career-best No. 39 in singles, while the doubles team of Oliver Okonkwo and Will Davies are ranked No. 17 nationally. Allaf’s preseason national ranking is believed to be the highest by a Hawkeye.
• Allaf has 155 combined wins in singles and doubles, five victories shy of the program record set by Tyler Cleveland. Allaf has amassed 90 career singles wins, which ranks second in school history.
HEAD COACH ROSS WILSON:
Ross Wilson, a former two-time NCAA All-American and three-time ITA national doubles champion at Ohio State, is in his sixth season as the Mellecker Family Head Men’s Tennis Coach and seventh year with the Iowa men’s tennis program.