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Feb. 20, 2011

SEATTLE – No. 5 Texas (9-1) dropped the doubles point but rallied with four singles victories to come from behind and defeat No. 8 Illinois (6-4) by a 4-3 count Sunday evening in the consolation round at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. 

Sophomore Vasko Mladenov, senior Ed Corrie, sophomore Daniel Whitehead all picked up singles wins, and redshirt freshman David Holiner picked up the clinching victory in a three-setter at fifth singles.  Texas will leave Seattle with wins over the eighth-ranked Illini and No. 12 Kentucky.       

Illinois became the first team to take the doubles point from the Horns this season when they posted victories at the first and third positions.  UT’s Ed Corrie and Jean Andersen engaged in a tight match against Illinois’ Abe Souza and Johnny Hamui at first singles but fell by an 8-6 count.  The Illini closed out the doubles session at the third slot, as UT’s Vasko Mladenov and Daniel Whitehead fell to Illinois’ Roy Kalmanovich and Dennis Nevolo by an 8-2 margin.

The Illini tacked on to their lead at sixth singles, where Stephen Hoh knocked off UT freshman Sudanwa Sitaram, 6-1, 6-2.  UT’s Mladenov cut into the Illinois lead at third singles, where he notched a 6-4, 6-3 win over Illinois’ K.U. Singh.  Texas’ Corrie registered his second victory over a top-10 opponent in three days when he upset Illinois’ eighth-ranked Nevolo at first singles, 6-3, 6-3 to even the match at two.

The Illini assumed a 3-2 lead when their 31st-ranked Hamui finished off a 6-2, 6-4 win over UT’s 61st-ranked Kellen Damico, but UT’s Whitehead evened the tally once more when he held on for a 6-4, 7-6 (6) win over Illinois’ Kalmanovich at fourth singles to tie the match at three.

UT’s Holiner dropped the first set off of Illinois’ 65th-ranked Souza in a tiebreaker at fifth singles and fell behind 3-0 in set two before winning six straight games to force the extra set.  Holiner broke Souza’s serve midway through the final set and held on for a 6-4 third-set win to clinch the match for the Longhorns.

Texas resumes play on Saturday, Feb. 26 when it hosts SMU at 1 p.m. Central. 

POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas coach Michael Center
On the win
“We were out there for four hours.  We talked a lot about how we were going to have to fight, with this being the third day of a tournament.  They kept hanging in there, and after they dropped the doubles, the guys refused to give in.  I can’t say enough about their effort.  And for David Holiner to win that one in his first real dual match, that was terrific to see.”   

On Ed Corrie’s two top-10 wins over the weekend
“Ed had been struggling a bit.  He lost a few in a row but kept working hard on his game.  He made up his mind that he would be more aggressive and really steady. He just had a phenomenal weekend.”

On David Holiner’s clinching win
“He was up a break in the first set, lost it, and then played a tiebreaker that he lost.  Then he went down 3-0 – two breaks – in the second set.  I challenged him and told him to go for it.  He became aggressive and picked up his serve and won six games in a row to win that set.  In the third set, he went down 3-1 but won the next four games to get to 5-3.  His opponent held him off, but David played an incredible game at 5-4 to win the match.   He hit some incredible serves.  At 30-all, he played one of the best points I’ve ever seen, where he dug out three or four balls and got the point.  At match point, he hit a huge first serve and hit the volley to win it.  I can’t say enough about his poise.”

#5 Texas 4, #8 Illinois 3
ITA National Team Indoor Championship – Consolation
Seattle Tennis Club
Doubles – Order of Finish:  1, 3
1 Souza/Hamui (UI) def. #2 Corrie/Andersen (UT) – 8-6
2 #27 Damico/Holiner (UT) vs. Roth/Hoh (UI) – 5-5, susp.
3 Kalmanovich/Nevolo (UI) def. Mladenov/Whitehead (UT) – 8-2
Singles – Order of Finish:  6, 3, 1, 2, 4, 5
1 #91 Ed Corrie (UT) def. #8 Dennis Nevolo (UI) – 6-3, 6-3
2 #31 Johnny Hamui (UI) def. #61 Kellen Damico (UT) – 6-2, 6-4
3 #93 Vasko Mladenov (UT) def. K.U. Singh (UI) – 6-4, 6-4
4 Daniel Whitehead (UT) def. Roy Kalmanovich (UI) – 6-4, 7-6 (6)
5 David Holiner (UT) def. #65 Abe Souza (UI) – 6-7 (0), 6-3, 6-4
6 Stephen Hoh (UI) def. Sudanwa Sitaram (UT) – 6-1, 6-2