No. 3 Ohio State Sweeps No. 14 Illinois, Earns Spot In Elite Eight
5/8/2026 7:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Buckeyes Face the Winner of Stanford and TCU in the quarterfinals May 14
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 3 Ohio State advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament after defeating No. 14 Illinois, 4-0, Friday in the Super Regionals at the Auer Tennis Complex in Columbus, Ohio.
The Buckeyes advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2024. Since 2004, Ohio State has made the quarterfinals of the tournament 18 times and were runner-ups in 2023, 2018 and 2009.
This is the second-consecutive year that the Buckeyes have defeated Illinois three times in the same season. Ohio State previously beat Illinois, 4-3, in the Big Ten Semifinals and earlier in the season the Buckeyes defeated the Fightin Illini, 5-2, in the Ty Tucker Tennis Center.
Ohio State improved to 32-4 on the season and ended its home schedule with a 19-1 record. At the Ty Tucker Tennis Center and Auer Tennis Complex, the Buckeyes swept 16 teams and outscored opponents 88-9.
The Buckeyes grabbed the doubles point with a 6-2 victory on court three from Alexander Bernard and Alex Okonkwo and a tiebreaker, 7-6(4), win from Brandon Carpico and Nikita Filin on court one. Filin and Bernard earned two-set singles victories on courts four and six, while Jack Anthrop clinched it for the Buckeyes in a 6-4, 6-3 match.
Ohio State will face the winner of Stanford/No. 6 seed TCU in the quarterfinals May 14. The Cardinal and Horned Frogs face off at 2 p.m. Saturday at TCU.
The Buckeyes advance to play in Athens, Georgia at the Dan McGill Tennis Complex. The last time Ohio State played at the Dan McGill Tennis Complex was in the 2017 NCAA Championships. The Buckeyes advanced to the semifinals against Virginia (L, 4-2) after wins over Oklahoma (4-3) and TCU (4-0).
Doubles
-
Alexander Bernard and Alex Okonkwo got out to a 4-1 lead on court three and didn't give it up, going on to earn the first doubles point for the Buckeyes with a 6-2 victory.
-
The final two doubles matches went to a tiebreaker with Ohio State clinching the doubles point on court one.
-
In a close tiebreaker, Brandon Carpico and Nikita Filin traded blows with Gabriel Debru and Kenta Miyoshi of Illinois until the two pairs were knotted up in a tiebreaker. Carpico and Filin won four-consecutive points to start the tiebreaker and defeated Illinois 7-4 to clinch the doubles point for the Buckeyes.
-
Aidan Kim and Bryce Nakashima forced a tiebreaker after they were down 5-6, the pair was losing in the tiebreaker 1-2 when the match was clinched for Ohio State.
Singles
-
Ohio State carried the doubles momentum into singles, taking the first set on five out of six courts.
-
Nikita Filin continued his excellence in singles, he earned a fast 6-1 first set before grabbing the first singles point for the Buckeyes with a 6-4 set two. The win marked his 19th-straight singles victory.
-
The match had a 30 minute rain delay after every court's first set.
-
On court six, Alexander Bernard put Ohio State up 3-0 with a 6-2, 6-2 match victory. It was Bernard's sixth win of the year at the No. 6 position.
-
In the clinching match, Jack Anthrop was the hero with a 6-4, 6-3 match victory to push Ohio State into the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
-
Preston Stearns won a tightly contested first set, 7-5, but was down 2-4 when the match was clinched for the Buckeyes in the second set.
-
On court five, Bryce Nakashima dropped the first set before coming back to win a strong 6-3 second set. Nakashima was down 0-1 in the third set when Anthrop clinched the sweep over the Fighting Illini.
-
Aidan Kim earned a 6-3 set one win before falling 3-6 in the second set. In the third set, Kim won three-consecutive points and was up 3-0 when the match was clinched.
#3 Ohio State 4, #14 Illinois 0
Singles
1. #11 Aidan Kim (OSU) vs. #18 Gabriel Debru (ILL) 6-3, 3-6, 3-0, unfinished
2. #32 Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. #16 Kenta Miyoshi (ILL) 6-4, 6-3
3. #31 Preston Stearns (OSU) vs. #96 William Mroz (ILL) 7-5, 2-4, unfinished
4. #95 Nikita Filin (OSU) def. Adam Jilly (ILL) 6-1, 6-4
5. Bryce Nakashima (OSU) vs. Zachary Viiala (ILL) 2-6, 6-3, 0-1, unfinished
6. Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. Hayden Jones (ILL) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1. #8 Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin (OSU) def. Gabriel Debru/Kenta Miyoshi (ILL) 7-6(4)
2. #45 Aidan Kim/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) vs. Tyler Bowers/William Mroz (ILL) 6-6(1-2)
3. #44 Alexander Bernard/Alex Okonkwo (OSU) def. David Bakonyi/Zachary Viiala (ILL) 6-2
Match Notes:
Illinois 24-8 ; National ranking #14
Ohio State 32-4; National ranking #3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,6,2)
Official: Richard Rogers T- 3:15
Match delays totaling 50 minutes
#GoBucks
