Kentucky took the doubles point and a big victory at the first singles position, but third-ranked Illinois rebounded with four singles victories to claim a 4-2 win over the Cats Thursday in the opening round of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago.

Kentucky (5-2) took an early 1-0 lead on the strength of two doubles victories. Seniors Jesse Witten and Tigran Martirosyan teamed up for an 8-6 victory at first doubles over Illinois? Ryler DeHeart and Kevin Anderson. The Cats clinched the doubles point at the second doubles position when Matt Emery and Marcus Sundh defeated the Illini?s G.D. Jones and Ryan Rowe, 8-6.

Illinois (6-0) evened the tally at one when Ruben Gonzales defeated UK?s Nolan Polley at No. 6 singles by a 6-0, 6-2 count. The Illini took the lead when UK?s Nate Emge was forced to retire in the second set at the third singles position. Illinois increased its cushion to 3-1 after Rowe defeated Alex Hume at No. 5 singles, 7-5, 6-4.

The first singles slot featured a rematch of last November?s ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championship final between UK?s Witten and Illinois? DeHeart, which DeHeart won in straight sets. Witten outlasted DeHeart in a first-set tiebreaker and captured the second set, 6-4, to slice the Kentucky deficit to 3-2. However, the Illini clinched the match at No. 2 singles, as Jones defeated UK?s Emery, 7-5, 6-2.

UK drops to 8-9 in national-team indoor openers. The Cats will meet Ohio State in consolation play Friday at 6 p.m. EST.

No. 3 Illinois 4, No. 13 Kentucky 2

 Doubles 1. Witten/Martirosyan (UK) def. DeHeart/Anderson (UI) ? 8-6 2. Emery/Sundh (UK) def. Jones/Rowe (UI) ? 8-6 3. Emge/Polley (UK) vs. Zeder/Dabir (UI) ? 7-7, susp. Singles 1. No. 3 Jesse Witten (UK) def. No. 2 Ryler DeHeart (UI) ? 7-6 (6), 6-4 2. No. 42 G.D. Jones (UI) def. Matt Emery (UK) ? 7-5, 6-2 3. Kevin Anderson (UI) def. No. 120 Nate Emge (UK) ? 6-2, 1-0, ret. 4. Tigran Martirosyan (UK) vs. Monte Tucker (UI) ? 7-6 (5), 2-6, 1-1, susp. 5. Ryan Rowe (UI) def. Alex Hume (UK) ? 7-5, 6-4 6. Ruben Gonzales (UI) def. Nolan Polley (UK) ? 6-0, 6-2