by Bobby Knight | Sep 9, 2017 | Blog
If you are a fan of college tennis then Friday had to be a great day for you. The day started off with former UCLA All-American Jean-Julien Rojer and his doubles partner Horia Tecau winning the US Open Doubles Championship then later in the day former Illinois All-American Kevin Anderson became the first player with college ties to advance to a Grand Slam singles final since Todd Martin in 1999. In addition to those two great matches there were several other players with college ties playing in the US Open Juniors and American Collegiate Invitational which were also taking place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Then to top if off...
by Bobby Knight | Sep 8, 2017 | Blog
Labor Day has come and gone which means it’s time for fall college tennis tournament action. Between now and mid-November every weekend will be filled with multiple events taking place at locations across the country.The biggest event this weekend takes place in Athens with the University of Georgia hosting the Southern Intercollegiate Championships. The SICs always have a strong field and this year is no different with Georgia hosting competitors from Arkansas, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Florida Atlantic, East Tennessee State, Georgia State, Georgia Gwinnett, and others. There are three flights of singles and two flights of doubles with draws and updated...
by Bobby Knight | Sep 8, 2017 | Blog
Former UCLA Bruin Jean-Julien Rojer (’00-’02) advanced to his first US Open doubles final after he and his doubles partner Horia Tecau came back from a set down to oust the top seeds John Peers (Baylor ’11) and Henri Kontinen. Peers and Kontinen won the opening set 6-1 in just 22 minutes and then the second set would see 12 straight holds to set up a tiebreak. Peers and Kontinen won the first three points of the tiebreak and ultimately led 5-3 but Rojer and Tecau won the next four points to take it 7-5.In the third set, Rojer and Tecau led 3-1* but Peers and Kontinen won the next three to go in front 4-3. Rojer and Tecau retook the lead at...
by Bobby Knight | Sep 6, 2017 | Blog
For the first time since Todd Martin (Northwestern) at the 2000 US Open, we have a player with college ties in the semifinals at a grand slam. Former Illinois Fighting Illini Kevin Anderson (’05-’07) busted through the ceiling late Tuesday night with a tough four-set win over American Sam Querrey. Due to the Venus Williams/Petra Kvitova match running late, Anderson and Querrey didn’t take the court until almost 10:30 p.m. ET and by the time the match ended at 1:51 a.m. there was only around 2000 fans left in the almost 24000 seat Arthur Ashe Stadium. Anderson dictated play all night long with the 6 foot 8 inch South African crushing the...
by Bobby Knight | Sep 4, 2017 | Blog
Kevin Anderson, who spent three years at Illinois from 2005 to 2007, equaled his career-best result at a grand slam and moved into the quarterfinals at the 2017 US Open with a four-set win over Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi. Anderson broke Lorenzi once in each of the first two sets and after 1 hour and 14 minutes of play he led 6-4, 6-3. Lorenzi earned his first break of the match in the third set and despite Anderson breaking back Lorenzi would take the set in a tiebreak 7-4. In the fourth set, Lorenzi broke Anderson to go up 3-2 but Anderson broke back and held for 4-3. After a Lorenzi hold, Anderson would hold and then break to close it out 6-4, 6-3, 6-7,...
by Bobby Knight | Sep 2, 2017 | Blog
Kevin Anderson was one of Friday’s big winners at the US Open with the former Illini rolling into the fourth round with a sound straight set win over Croatia’s Borna Coric. The opening set was the closest of the three with Anderson only winning three more points than Coric but the South African cashed in his one break opportunity to close out the set 6-4.After not facing any break points in the first set, Anderson would face five in his 2-2 service game in the second set. Anderson managed to come all the way back from 0/40 down to get the hold and then three games later he’d break Coric from 30/40 to go up 5-3. Anderson held at love to take...
Latest Comments