Oct. 8, 2011
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -
The Illinois State men's tennis team competed in the Illinois Challenger Pre-Qualifying Tournament at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday. The 'Birds won 8-of-14 matches.
Alexander Pelaez and Tuomas Manner led the way, both winning 2-of-2 singles matches.
Competition was strong, including players from Depaul, Louisville and Illinois. There were also a couple of the top junior players from the state of Illinois competing in the tournament.
Head Coach Cris James considers the tournament a learning experience for the younger guys as well as an opportunity for the entire team to prepare for future tournaments this fall.
"We were able to get more match play, which is what a lot of our guys need right now, while staying close to home," said James. "It was good for us to compete against new players, rather than just practicing and competing against each other, to better prepare for the tournament coming up this weekend."
James believes his team must improve their consistency to get to where they want to be.
"All of my guys had some stretches today where they played well and all of them had some stretches today where they played poorly," said James. "My message to my team, after the final match of the day was completed, was that if they want to be really good college players, they need to be more consistent."
The Redbirds will be back in action Sunday. Play is set to begin at 9 a.m.
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