Northwestern University Athletics
2003 Big Ten Championship
4/2/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
With the onset of spring, the NCAA tennis world can start looking toward conference championships-that is figuratively and literally for Northwestern, as it prepares to host the 2003 Big Ten Men's Tennis Championship, which will be held April 24-27 in Evanston. Some of the nation's elite will invade the Vandy Christie Tennis Center to battle for conference supremacy.
A quick look at the current polls demonstrates the strength of Big Ten tennis. The March 19 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) computer poll displays six conference teams ranked in the top-50, including three in the top-25: Illinois is No. 1, Minnesota is No. 12 and Indiana is No. 21. In all, nine of the 11 Big Ten schools are ranked in the top-75.
Individually, the Big Ten has carried its weight well. The conference features five players ranked in the top-20-four hail from early tournament favorite Illinois.
In all, 10 Big Ten players are ranked in the ITA top-100.
Illinois took home the 2002 Big Ten Championship and three of the last four. The Illini have also won the conference regular-season title the last six years. This season, UI is off to a 14-0 start and has won 10 matches by shutout. UI also took home the ITA Indoor National Championship in February.
The Big Ten Championship returns to Evanston for the first time since 1991 and for the 23rd time overall. Ohio State took home the title in 1991, the year after NU won its last Championship. The first time NU hosted the tournament was in 1935.
Admission will be free each of the four days. A tentative schedule of the matches is below.
Thursday, April 24
10 a.m., No. 8 seed vs. No. 9 seed
10 a.m., No. 7 seed vs. No. 10 seed
2 p.m., No. 6 seed vs. No. 11 seed
Friday, April 25
10 a.m., No. 1 seed vs. No. 8/9 seed
10 a.m., No. 2 seed vs. No. 7/10 seed
2 p.m., No. 3 seed vs. No. 6/11 seed
2 p.m., No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Saturday, April 26
Noon, Semifinal Matches
Sunday, April 27
Noon, Championship
