WACO, TX — Seventh-ranked Baylor men’s tennis (10-2) will host two teams as part of its three-match homestand and will compete against 11th-ranked Illinois and Purdue Friday and Saturday at the Hurd Tennis Center.
Both matches are slated for a 6 p.m. start. In the event of inclement weather, matches will be moved to Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
Friday’s match against Illinois will be the first “Hounds at the Hurd” event where fans are encouraged to bring their dogs. Free dog toy and old Baylor tennis balls will be given away while supplies last.
Free yo-yo’s will also be given out at Saturday’s match against Purdue.
No. 34 Will Little leads the Bears with a 7-1 singles record while Constantin Frantzen holds a 4-0 start this season. In doubles, second-ranked Jimmy Bendeck and Sven Lah have recorded a 6-1 mark at the top of the lineup.
Illinois comes into the match with a 5-3 record and went 1-2 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The Fighting Illini have recorded ranked wins over then-No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 7 UCLA and No. 19 Tulane earlier this year.
Purdue comes into Saturday with a 4-4 record but have lost three straight matches. The Boilermakers have recorded home wins over Toledo, IUPUI, Marquette and Green Bay this season.
Historically, the Fighting Illini lead the all-time series, 6-5, over the Bears. BU looks to snap a two-match losing streak against Illinois and capture its first win in the series since 2014.
That season, Baylor blanked Illinois twice and used a 4-0 sweep in the NCAA Round of 16 to earn the program’s 10th trip to the NCAA quarterfinals. All-Americans Julian Lenz, Diego Galeano and Tony Lupieri helped the Bears secure the win.
Meanwhile, Baylor is 7-0 all-time against Purdue and has faced the Boilermakers in seven of the last eight seasons. Last season, BU captured a 5-2 home win over Purdue with Will Little, Matias Soto, Jimmy Bendeck and Constantin Frantzen all registering points.
