CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic scored 24 points for his fourth 20-point performance in five games, leading No. 13 Illinois to an 87-73 victory over Texas Rio Grande Valley on Monday night.
Mihailo Petrovic had 12 points, and David Mirkovic and twins Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic each added 10 for the Illini (6-1). They are 6-0 at home.
Illinois has started the season scoring 80 or more points in all seven games. The Illini haven’t done that since the 1988-89 team dubbed the Flyin' Illini opened with 12 consecutive games of 80 or more points.
Kye Dickson scored 21 points and Filip Brankovic had 15 for the Rio Grande Valley (2-4), which trailed 42-31 at halftime and cut the Illinois lead to six points twice early in the second half but didn't get any closer.
Stojakovic scored 14 points in the first half.
Illinois, the top rebounding team in the Big Ten, outrebounded the Vaqueros, 44-32. Keaton Wagler and Ben Humrichous each had eight rebounds, Zvonimir Ivisic had seven and Stojakovic had six.
The Vaqueros went 16-15 last season. It was their first winning season since 2018-19.
Rio Grande Valley is a second-year member of the Southland Conference after spending 11 years in the Western Athletic Conference.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood went 53-1 against Southland Conference teams while winning three regular-season and three conference tournament championships from 2013-2016, when he at Stephen F. Austin.
Texas Rio Grande Valley: At Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 3.
Illinois: Vs. No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.
This story has been corrected to show that Illinois' nickname is the Fighting Illini, not Flyin’ Illini.
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Texas Rio Grande Valley forward Kye Dickson, right, drives against Illinois' Zvonimir Ivisic (44) during an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
ROME (AP) — Italian tennis fans had waited for this moment for a half century.
For Jannik Sinner, though, it wasn’t just about becoming the first Italian man to win the Italian Open since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.
The top-ranked Sinner’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over Casper Ruud in Sunday's final on the red clay of the Foro Italico also made him only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 events — the biggest tournaments outside the Grand Slams.
Djokovic completed the career set in 2018 in Cincinnati at age 31 — and then went on to win each event at least twice. Sinner is 24, and with his only real rival, Carlos Alcaraz, currently sidelined due to a right wrist injury, seemingly nobody can beat him.
“Welcome to the exclusive club, Jannik,” Djokovic wrote on Instagram.
Sinner extended his winning streak to 29 matches. He hasn’t lost since getting beat by Jakub Mensik in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Feb. 19. And he’s now 17-0 on clay this year entering the French Open, which starts next Sunday.
Incredible,” Sinner said. “It’s been a long time since an Italian won – 50 years. I’m happy one of us was able to take advantage of this great period for Italian tennis.”
Sinner celebrated calmly as usual, revealing a wide smile when he landed an inside-out forehand on the line on his first championship point, then held his hands over his head in apparent relief. Then he waved to the crowd, which included 1976 champion Panatta sitting in the front row.
“Adriano, after 50 years we’ve won back a very important trophy,” Sinner told the 75-year-old Panatta, who participated in the trophy ceremony.
Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam that Sinner hasn’t won: He has two Australian Open titles and has won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open once each.
Sinner’s triumph — with Italy President Sergio Mattarella in attendance — came after he lost last year’s final in Rome to Alcaraz in his first tournament back after a three-month doping ban. That defeat came a day after Jasmime Paolini in 2025 became the first Italian woman to win the Rome singles title in 40 years — when she also claimed the doubles trophy with partner Sara Errani.
With many of Sinner’s fans dressed in orange — his theme color, which matches his curly hair — the capacity crowd of 10,500 on Campo Centrale created a soccer-style atmosphere with chanting and loud cheers for the player who has become far and away Italy’s most popular athlete.
After several key points, the crowd erupted into a cheer of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.” Then there was more chanting during the trophy presentation.
Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian tennis federation, suggested that even if there was a 25,000-seat center court in Rome — bigger than the U.S. Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis arena — it would have been full.
Sinner overcame exhaustion to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals in a rain-delayed match that required two days to finish. But there were no signs of fatigue against the 25th-ranked Ruud, who has been one of the circuit’s top clay-court players for years.
Ruud reached two finals at Roland Garros, losing to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and Novak Djokovic in 2023. But the Norwegian wasted an early break and a 2-0 advantage at the start of the first set against Sinner, who quickly broke back and then broke again toward the end of the set with the help of three key drop shots — two of which were so well-placed that Ruud didn’t even run for them.
A big backhand winner up the line gave Sinner another break in the opening game of the second set.
Sinner improved to 5-0 in his career against Ruud.
“What you’re doing this year it's hard to describe in words," Ruud told Sinner during the trophy ceremony. “It's really an honor to watch you play. ... Congratulations for making history."
It was an extra special day for the host nation after Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first Italian duo to win the men’s doubles title in Rome since 1960.
Bolelli and Vavassori beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (8), 6-7 (3), 10-3.
For both the singles and doubles finals, there was also a packed crowd watching on a jumbo screen on the statue-lined Pietrangeli court next to Campo Centrale.
Elina Svitolina beat Coco Gauff in the women’s singles title match on Saturday.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, holds his trophy after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match to win the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, holds his trophy after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match to win the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026.(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, reacts after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Fans of Jannik Sinner, of Italy, watch his final match against Casper Ruud, of Norway, at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, celebrates after defeating Casper Ruud, of Norway, 6/4, 6/4 in the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, celebrates winning a point against Casper Ruud, of Norway, during the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Casper Ruud, of Norway, returns the ball to Jannik Sinner, of Italy, during the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, right, and Casper Ruud, of Norway, on the court at the start of the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, celebrates winning a point against Casper Ruud, of Norway, during the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns the ball to Casper Ruud, of Norway, during the final match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
