May 2, 1999
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The journey of the Purdue men's tennis team, from the bottom of the Big Ten standings to the top, was almost completed today. Unfortunately, the Boilermakers ended their run for their first ever Big Ten title a few steps behind second-ranked Illinois, which claimed its third consecutive conference championship with a 4-1 victory over the Old Gold and Black at the University of Michigan Varsity Tennis Center.
Despite the loss, which brought 42nd-ranked Purdue's record to 17-6, the Boilermakers made history by placing second in the Big Ten for their highest finish ever in 74 years of competition.
"Getting to this point is not about one day," Purdue coach Tim Madden said. "It's about heart and dedication, and I give my players a lot of credit for getting this program to this point.
For Purdue, which finished 11th in the Big Ten in Madden's first season (1995), getting to the Big Ten championship match just four years later was certainly an accomplishment. But the Boilermakers were not content with just being there. They wanted to win.
The Boilermakers, seeded third, knew it would take all they had to bump off the top-seeded Illini. And they believed they could pull out the upset, after taking Illinois to the brink in the regular season before falling 4-3 in Champaign.
Purdue entered doubles play on that mission, and looked ready for the challenge. Senior Derek Myers and freshman Laith Al-Agba played Illinois' third- ranked duo of Cary Franklin and Oliver Freelove tough, keeping things close and finally taking a 6-5 lead. But after taking that lead, Myers and Al-Agba could not put another point on the board and fell 8-6.
Needing to win the two remaining doubles matches for the overall point, Purdue put its hopes in the pairs of senior Jamie Gordon and sophomore Dan Swan and senior Cris James and sophomore Jason Marshall. Gordon and Swan looked good and held a slim lead through most of the match, and James and Marshall fought back from a 3-0 deficit to make their match a battle. But neither team could come through, and Illinois took the point with an 8-6 win by Jakub Tepley and Matt Snyder over Gordon and Swan.
"The doubles matches were so highly competitive," Madden said. "Illinois does not lose the doubles point. So we got their attention real quick with how serious we were about winning it. I think if we had won the doubles point, things may have gone differently."
Purdue did not get that opening point, though, making four singles wins necessary for the overall victory. And while Gordon (No. 1), Myers (No. 2) and Marshall (No. 4) all dropped their opening sets, James (No. 3), freshman Derek Miller (No. 5) and Swan (No. 6) kept the dream alive by winning their openers.
Gordon, who had to battle 10th-ranked Freelove, rallied back to go up 3-0 in his second set. But that was all the Boilermaker could muster, as Freelove closed out the affair winning six straight games to give Illinois a 2-0 lead in the race to four.
Soon after that court cleared, however, James came through with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jeff Laski, which brought Purdue back to within one.
A 6-2, 7-6 win by Tepley over Marshall gave Illinois a 3-1 advantage, making the final three matches must-wins for Purdue.
And despite going to three sets in each of those remaining matches, Purdue could not grind it out, as the Illini got their championship point with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win by Franklin over Myers.
The loss, though difficult to swallow, did not signal the end of the season for the Boilermakers. Purdue will continue its season at the NCAA Regionals (site to be determined) from May 14-16. This is Purdue's third invitation to the national tournament in as many years.
"We sent the message today that we are for real," Madden said. "We have no reason to hang our heads. This experience in this kind of championship atmosphere is going to make us a better team at NCAA's."
This was, however, the final Big Ten contest for the senior trio of Gordon, James and Myers, who made up Madden's first recruiting class at Purdue.
"Those three seniors are such tremendous leaders that they impact every single player in our lineup," Madden said. "I really believe the rest of the team lifts its level because they see their example. They have been leaders from the beginning and have taken Purdue tennis to a new level. Their desire for this exact opportunity is what got us here and gave us a chance to win today."
Illinois 4, Purdue 1
SINGLES
1. Oliver Freelove (UI) def. Jamie Gordon (PU) 6-3, 6-32. Cary Franklin (UI) def. Derek Myers (PU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-33. Cris James (PU) def. Jeff Laski (UI) 6-2, 6-44. Jakub Tepley (UI) def. Jason Marshall (PU) 6-2, 7-65. Mike Kosta (UI) vs. Derek Miller (PU) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 susp.6. Matt Snyder (UI) vs. Dan Swan (PU) 5-7, 6-0, 5-2 susp.DOUBLES
1. Freelove/Franklin (UI) def. Myers/Laith Al-Agba (PU) 8-62. Laski/Jamal Parker (UI) vs. Marshall/James (PU) 8-73. Tepley/Snyder (UI) def. Gordon/Swan (PU) 8-6