#2 Ohio State at #23 Northwestern / #21 Illinois
Dates: March 24 & 26, 2023
Time: 7 p.m & 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Combe Tennis Center | Atkins Tennis Center
Live Scoring: NW Scoring | ILL Scoring
Live Video: NW Video | ILL Video
Rosters: Ohio State | Northwestern | Illinois
Rankings: ITA Rankings
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 2 Ohio State opens Big Ten play this weekend on the road at No. 23 Northwestern and No. 21 Illinois. The match with the Wildcats will start at 7 p.m. ET on Friday evening and first serve on Sunday at Illinois will be at 1 p.m. ET.
- This will be the third meeting this season between Ohio State and Illinois. The Buckeyes beat Illinois in a non-conference match 6-1 in Columbus on Jan. 22. The second meeting came at Illinois in the opening round of the ITA Indoor Team National Championship 4-0 on Feb. 17.
- The Buckeyes have won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Illinois.
- Overall, Ohio State leads the all-time series with Illinois 55-54-1 and the Buckeyes are 31-14 against the Illini since Ty Tucker took over in 2000.
- The Buckeyes are 27-1 against Northwestern since 2000 and will be looking for its 22nd consecutive win over the Wildcats on Friday night.
- Last season, Ohio State swept the Wildcats twice, winning the regular season meeting in Columbus and then winning again in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
- Ohio State is 17-2 on the season and is coming off a huge 4-2 victory over rival Michigan on Sunday. That was a non-conference match between the two teams.
- This Buckeyes are 7-2 against Top 25 ranked teams this season.
- Three Buckeyes are ranked inside the Top 25 of the latest ITA singles rankings. Cannon Kingsley is ranked No. 12 while JJ Tracy is just behind him at No. 15. James Trotter checks-in at No. 25, Justin Boulais is at No. 53 and Alexander Bernard is at No. 63.
- In doubles, Tracy and Andrew Lutschaunig remain near the top at No. 3 while Lutschaunig and Trotter hold steady at No. 7. Boulais and Robert Cash enter the rankings for the first time this season at No. 36.
- Cash and Boulais are a team-best 14-2 on the season and 2-0 at the No. 1 spot.
- After going a combined 3-0 last week and providing the clinching point in the win over Michigan, JJ Tracy was named the Big Ten Men’s Tennis Athlete of the Week.
- That is the third different Buckeye to earn Player of the Week honors this season and it was the fourth time overall.
#GoBucks
