University of Tennessee Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Knoxville
12 PM
University of Tennessee
vs
Illinois
Men’s Tennis Central: ITA Kickoff Weekend
January 24, 2025 | Men's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - For the sixth year in a row, the No. 14 Tennessee men's tennis team is set to serve as one of 14 hosts during the 2025 ITA Kickoff Weekend, hosting Auburn, Illinois and Michigan from Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 25-26, at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
The winner of the Tennessee Regional advances to the ITA Indoor National Championships, running Feb. 14-17, 2025. That event is set to be jointly hosted by SMU and Baylor at the Mustangs' Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex and the Bears' Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
Tennessee (3-1) is 23-7 all-time at the ITA Kickoff Weekend since the event's inception in 2009 and has advanced to the ITA Indoor National Championships in each of the previous four seasons, reaching the final in 2022.
At the 2024 ITA Kickoff Weekend in Knoxville, the Big Orange swept USF, 4-0, and then went on to beat Oklahoma, 4-1, to clinch their spot at the ITA Indoor National Championships. Two of the three other teams in this year's Tennessee Regional are familiar faces to the Vols, as UT bested Michigan last year, 4-3, and defeated Auburn in SEC play, 6-1.
Live stats for the match can be found here. Admission is free to fans, and tennis parking will be available on West Volunteer Boulevard and at the top of the CI7/NC7 garage located next to Barksdale Stadium.
SCHEDULE
Saturday
Auburn vs. Michigan – 9:00 a.m. ET
Tennessee vs. Illinois – Noon ET
Sunday
Consolation Match – Loser of Match 1 vs. Loser of Match 2 – 10:00 a.m. ET
Championship Match – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 1:00 p.m. ET
LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee is coming off a 4-0 loss to No. 4 Wake Forest. The Vols were unable to gain momentum in singles or doubles play, winning only two sets on the day.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini will open their season against the Big Orange, as Illinois has yet to play a match in the 2025 dual season. They ended last year with a 17-10 mark, conquering their first test in the NCAA Tournament but eventually falling to No. 5 Kentucky.
Illinois boasts two ranked singles individuals and one ranked doubles pair.
SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers (2-0) tallied a doubleheader sweep to open the year against Mercer and North Alabama, allowing losing only one court in the process. They boast one ranked singles individual and doubles pair, and they are coming off an 18-11 season that saw an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the Second Round to No. 9 Arizona.
Newcomer Alejandro Moreno is no stranger to Auburn, as the Knoxville native played the previous two seasons for the Tigers, tallying a 33-26 singles mark and going 26-22 in doubles.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan (1-0) opened with a 7-0 win over Ball State on Jan. 11, winning all six singles matches and taking the doubles point. The team is ranked No. 25 in the ITA national poll that last came out on Jan. 22, and they are the lone other team ranked in the Knoxville Regional besides the Vols.
The Wolverines have both a pair of singles players as well as two doubles teams nationally ranked. Patorn Hanchaikul earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors this past week after a 2-0 record in singles and doubles play.
VOLS IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#18 – Shunsuke Mitsui
#34 – Alex Kotzen
#56 – Alejandro Moreno
Doubles
#21 – Alejandro Moreno/Alex Kotzen
#59 – Alan Jesudason/Shunsuke Mitsui
FIGHTING ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#14 – Kenta Miyoshi
#30 – William Mroz
Doubles
#52 – Tyler Bowers/Zachary Viiala
TIGERS IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#95 – Alexander Frusina
Doubles
#15 – Billy Blaydes/William Nolan
WOLVERINES IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#59 – Gavin Young
#113 – Patorn Hanchaikul
Doubles
#5 – Gavin Young/Benjamin Kittay
#119 – Will Cooksey/Alex Cairo
UP NEXT
Following ITA Kickoff Weekend, the Vols are set to play host to No. 17 Michigan State on Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. ET at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
For the most up-to-date information about the program, follow Tennessee men's tennis on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
The winner of the Tennessee Regional advances to the ITA Indoor National Championships, running Feb. 14-17, 2025. That event is set to be jointly hosted by SMU and Baylor at the Mustangs' Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex and the Bears' Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
Tennessee (3-1) is 23-7 all-time at the ITA Kickoff Weekend since the event's inception in 2009 and has advanced to the ITA Indoor National Championships in each of the previous four seasons, reaching the final in 2022.
At the 2024 ITA Kickoff Weekend in Knoxville, the Big Orange swept USF, 4-0, and then went on to beat Oklahoma, 4-1, to clinch their spot at the ITA Indoor National Championships. Two of the three other teams in this year's Tennessee Regional are familiar faces to the Vols, as UT bested Michigan last year, 4-3, and defeated Auburn in SEC play, 6-1.
Live stats for the match can be found here. Admission is free to fans, and tennis parking will be available on West Volunteer Boulevard and at the top of the CI7/NC7 garage located next to Barksdale Stadium.
SCHEDULE
Saturday
Auburn vs. Michigan – 9:00 a.m. ET
Tennessee vs. Illinois – Noon ET
Sunday
Consolation Match – Loser of Match 1 vs. Loser of Match 2 – 10:00 a.m. ET
Championship Match – Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2 – 1:00 p.m. ET
LAST TIME OUT
Tennessee is coming off a 4-0 loss to No. 4 Wake Forest. The Vols were unable to gain momentum in singles or doubles play, winning only two sets on the day.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illini will open their season against the Big Orange, as Illinois has yet to play a match in the 2025 dual season. They ended last year with a 17-10 mark, conquering their first test in the NCAA Tournament but eventually falling to No. 5 Kentucky.
Illinois boasts two ranked singles individuals and one ranked doubles pair.
SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers (2-0) tallied a doubleheader sweep to open the year against Mercer and North Alabama, allowing losing only one court in the process. They boast one ranked singles individual and doubles pair, and they are coming off an 18-11 season that saw an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the Second Round to No. 9 Arizona.
Newcomer Alejandro Moreno is no stranger to Auburn, as the Knoxville native played the previous two seasons for the Tigers, tallying a 33-26 singles mark and going 26-22 in doubles.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan (1-0) opened with a 7-0 win over Ball State on Jan. 11, winning all six singles matches and taking the doubles point. The team is ranked No. 25 in the ITA national poll that last came out on Jan. 22, and they are the lone other team ranked in the Knoxville Regional besides the Vols.
The Wolverines have both a pair of singles players as well as two doubles teams nationally ranked. Patorn Hanchaikul earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors this past week after a 2-0 record in singles and doubles play.
VOLS IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#18 – Shunsuke Mitsui
#34 – Alex Kotzen
#56 – Alejandro Moreno
Doubles
#21 – Alejandro Moreno/Alex Kotzen
#59 – Alan Jesudason/Shunsuke Mitsui
FIGHTING ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#14 – Kenta Miyoshi
#30 – William Mroz
Doubles
#52 – Tyler Bowers/Zachary Viiala
TIGERS IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#95 – Alexander Frusina
Doubles
#15 – Billy Blaydes/William Nolan
WOLVERINES IN THE RANKINGS
Singles
#59 – Gavin Young
#113 – Patorn Hanchaikul
Doubles
#5 – Gavin Young/Benjamin Kittay
#119 – Will Cooksey/Alex Cairo
UP NEXT
Following ITA Kickoff Weekend, the Vols are set to play host to No. 17 Michigan State on Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. ET at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
For the most up-to-date information about the program, follow Tennessee men's tennis on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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