Illini to serve for record

Illinois’ men’s tennis team needs to beat Minnesota on Saturday to break Stanford’s NCAA-record winning streak of 45 matches set under the current scoring format established in 1977. Stanford’s streak began in 1997 and ended in 1999 against Illinois. The Illini have been on a roll since last year, when they won the NCAA championship and finished 32-0. Their winning streak includes 25 shutouts. “The stereotype for tennis is that powerhouses come from California, Florida or other southern states,” senior Mike Calkins said. “When a northern state school wins, it’s an eye-opener. I don’t think people thought we would continue to win.”