CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 17th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team lost its first match of the season on Saturday, as the Tigers ran out of gas against No. 2 Illinois, 5-2, on the road in Champaign, Ill.
The Illini’s Mike Kosta clinched the victory with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win over LSU’s Sebastian Rutka in the No. 4 singles match. Kosta’s fifth win of the dual season gave Illinois its fourth point of the contest and secured the Illini’s second home victory of the year.
With the loss, the Tigers fell to an overall record of 3-1 on the season, while Illinois improved to a 5-1 dual-match record.
Despite dropping its last two matches versus the Illini, LSU still owns a 4-2 all-time series record against Illinois.
Illinois jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in Saturday’s non-conference battle as the Illini picked up wins on courts No. 2 and No. 3 to earn the doubles point.
The 17th-ranked doubles pair of Nathan Zeder and Kosta defeated LSU’s team of Jason Hazley and Jesse Smatt, 8-6, on court No. 3, while Illinois’ 37th-ranked combination of Brian Wilson and Phil Stolt dropped Brian Fisher and Cory Ross, 8-3, on court No. 2.
Both of LSU’s ranked players picked up wins in Saturday’s singles competition. The Tigers’ 42nd-ranked Dan Kiernan toppled Illinois’ 77th-ranked Wilson on court No. 2, 6-1, 6-6 (inj.), to earn LSU’s first point of the evening, while No. 85 Fisher outlasted the Illini’s 23rd-ranked Phil Stolt in a three-set marathon, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Kiernan, LSU’s senior from Newcastle, England, improved to 10-7 with the win and recorded his third victory of the season over a ranked opponent.
Fisher notched his fourth-straight singles win and upped his overall mark to 13-8 on the season. The Tiger sophomore recorded his fourth victory over a ranked opponent, including his first versus a top-50 player.
On court No. 1, LSU’s talented freshman from Toronto, Canada, Peter Richman, got off to a valiant start against ninth-ranked Amer Delic on Saturday. He snagged the first set, 6-3, then dropped the last two, 7-5 and 7-6(5), against Delic.
The 17th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team will next be in action on Feb. 26, as the Tigers return home to face the Louisiana-Monroe Indians at 2 p.m. at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
–agate to follow–
#2 Illinois (5-1) def. #17 LSU (3-1), 5-2
Doubles
No. 1 #47 Kiernan/Rutka (LSU) vs. #12 Calkins/Delic, susp.
No. 2 #37 Wilson/Stolt (ILL) def. Fisher/Ross, 8-3.
No. 3 #17 Zeder/Kosta (ILL) def. Hazley/Smatt, 8-6.
Singles
No. 1 #9 Amer Delic (ILL) def. Peter Richman, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4).
No. 2 #42 Dan Kiernan (LSU) def. #77 Brian Wilson, 6-1, 6-6, ret. (inj.)
No. 3 #85 Brian Fisher (LSU) def. #23 Phil Stolt, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
No. 4 Mike Kosta (ILL) def. Sebastian Rutka, 7-6(2), 6-2.
No. 5 Michael Calkins (ILL) def. Jason Hazley, 6-2, 7-6(5).
No. 6 Nathan Zeder (ILL) def. Cory Ross, 6-4, 6-3.