Chambana Sun

Illinois faced off against UTRGV and Baylor in a doubleheader at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The 16th-ranked Fighting Illini secured a 4-0 victory over UTRGV but fell 4-1 to the 17th-ranked Baylor Bears.

The day's results brought Illinois' season record to 6-3, with their performance against ranked teams now standing at 1-3. Kenta Miyoshi had a successful day, winning both his singles matches and improving his dual play record to 7-1.

"Hats off to Baylor. They played the big points better than we did," said head coach Brad Dancer. He emphasized the need for improvement in serve consistency and decision-making during matches. "Winning and losing will happen, but we have to eradicate making the same mistakes."

In their match against UTRGV, Illinois won the doubles point with victories on courts one and two. Tyler Bowers and Zach Viiala claimed a decisive win on Court 1, while Kenta Miyoshi and William Mroz came from behind to secure their match on Court 2.

Jeremy Zhang contributed with a dominant straight-set win at No. 3 singles, followed by Tyler Bowers' victory at No. 4 singles. Miyoshi clinched the overall win for Illinois with his performance at No. 1 singles.

Against Baylor, Illinois lost the doubles point after defeats on courts one and two. However, Miyoshi provided a highlight by defeating Baylor's Devin Badenhorst in straight sets at No. 1 singles.

Despite Miyoshi's efforts, Illinois was unable to overcome losses on courts three, four, and six as Baylor secured the match victory.

Looking ahead, Illinois will conclude its nonconference schedule with an away game against Ohio State on Wednesday evening.