Ohio State
University of Illinois
Ohio State Advances to Big Ten Tournament Finals, Downs Illini, 4-3
4/24/2026 9:27:00 PM | Men's Tennis
No. 2 Seed Ohio State Faces No. 1 Seed Michigan State in Finals Saturday at 8 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 2 seed Ohio State advanced to the finals of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament after defeating No. 3 seed Illinois 4-3 Friday in the semifinals at Libbey Park in Ojai, California.
The Buckeyes will play No. 1 seed Michigan State in the finals of the Big Ten Tournament at 8 p.m. Saturday. Ohio State was defeated, 4-3, in the regular season by the Spartans for the Buckeyes only loss in Big Ten competition.
Ohio State now owns a 15-match winning streak after defeating Nebraska in back-to-back matches in the quarterfinals and downing Illinois in the semifinals.
The Buckeyes grabbed the doubles point with a 7-5 victory on court two from Alexander Bernard and Alex Okonkwo and a tiebreaker, 7-6(8), win from Aidan Kim and Bryce Nakashima on court three. Nikita Filin and Preston Stearns earned straight-set singles victories on courts three and four, while Nakashima earned his second victory of the day by clinching a tight 4-3 Ohio State win after earning a 6-3 third set win on court five.
Nakashima sends the Buckeyes to the finals with a three set victory on court 5. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/F1OaODUeGy
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 25, 2026
The Buckeyes are seeking their 15th Big Ten Tournament title since 2001 and fourth since 2020.
Doubles
- The Buckeyes played the closest doubles game they have this season with two courts going to tiebreakers and one court going to 7-5.
- Alexander Bernard and Alex Okonkwo earned the first doubles win for Ohio State with a 7-5 victory on court two.
Okonkwo and Bernard win on court 2, 7-5. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SjsAFYinbV
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 24, 2026
- On court three, Aidan Kim and Bryce Nakashima were in a close match in the 6-6 tiebreaker. Kim and Nakashima pulled ahead to a 9-8 lead in the tiebreaker and clinched to earn the doubles point for the Buckeyes in a 10-8 tiebreaker.
The Buckeyes clinch the doubles point on court 3 with Kim and Nakashima winning tiebreaker, 10-8. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BisTfMhCHJ
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 24, 2026
- A few seconds later, Brandon Carpico and Nikita Filin were on matchpoint on court one in a 6-5 tiebreaker, Kim and Nakashima clinched just before the Buckeye duo of Carpico and Filin could finish the their match.
- Illinois got into a groove on courts one and two after #28 Gabriel Debru defeated #12 Aidan Kim in two consecutive-sets and #16 Kenta Miyoshi downed #29 Jack Anthrop in two sets to take a 2-1 lead over the Buckeyes with two singles matches down.
- Nikita Filin tied it up on court four with a 6-3 set one victory and a 6-4 set two win, earning his 15th-consecutive singles victory and putting Ohio State and Illinois at 2-all.
Filin wins in straight sets on court 4. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/zGFBY9lt6n
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 25, 2026
- On court three, Preston Stearns finished shortly after Filin with a two-set win. In the first set Stearns defeated #100 Wiliam Mroz 7-5 before dominating the second set and winning 6-2 in the second set for his fifth-consecutive singles win.
Ohio State goes up 3-2 after Stearns wins on court 3, 7-5, 6-2. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QGhYl4F5yA
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioStateMTEN) April 25, 2026
- Alexander Bernard lost a tiebreaker in the first set and was defeated 6-4 in the second set to knot the match at 3-all and force a winner goes to the final scenario for Bryce Nakashima and Zachary Viiala on court five.
- Nakashima went down 1-6 in the first set before climbing back to tie the sets at 1-all with a 6-3 set two win. In the deciding set, Nakashima got up to a 5-2 lead and kept it to clinch a 4-3 victory over the Fighting Illini and advance the Buckeyes into the finals of the Big Ten tournament.
#3 Ohio State 4, #14 Illinois 3
Singles
1. #28 Gabriel Debru (ILL) def. #12 Aidan Kim (OSU) 6-2, 6-3
2. #16 Kenta Miyoshi (ILL) def. #29 Jack Anthrop (OSU) 6-3, 6-3
3. #30 Preston Stearns (OSU) def. #100 William Mroz (ILL) 7-5, 6-2
4. #85 Nikita Filin (OSU) def. Adam Jilly (ILL) 6-3, 6-4
5. #118 Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def.. Zachary Viiala (ILL) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
6. Sasha Colleu (ILL) def. Alexander Bernard (OSU) 7-6(2), 6-3
Doubles
1. #5 Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin (OSU) vs. Gabriel Debru/Kenta Miyoshi (ILL) 6-6(6-5), unfinished
2. #39 Alexander Bernard/Alex Okonkwo (OSU) def. David Bakonyi/Zachary Viiala (ILL) 7-5
3. #53 Aidan Kim/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. Tyler Bowers/William Mroz (ILL) 7-6(8)
Match Notes:
Illinois 22-7 ; National ranking #14
Ohio State 29-3; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (1,2,4,3,6,5)
T- 2:57
#GoBucks
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,4,3,6,5
Players Mentioned
