CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Sixteen of the top ranked college tennis teams in the nation have converged on the renovated Midtown Athletic Club for the 44th annual Inter-Collegiate Tennis Association Men's indoor National Championship.
The four-day event begins Friday and runs through Monday's championship matches.
Host Illinois last won this title in back-to-back years, 2003 and 2004. This is the fifth time Midtown has hosted the ITA Championship, the last time in 2015.
There will be a back draw so that every school is guaranteed at least three matches.
"This place will be hopping," exclaimed Midtown board chairman Alan Schwartz, who created the club in 1970 (then, it was the largest indoor tennis facility in the country).
Schwartz noted John McEnroe and Andre Agassi won their first-ever titles at Midtown, and Andy Roddick won two championships here.
