Jan. 20, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Combe Indoor Tennis Center got a little rowdy Sunday afternoon as the Northwestern men's tennis team defeated Furman, 6-1, to improve its record to 2-0.
The crowd became engaged early in the match with the doubles competition, the first point on the line between the teams. In collegiate tennis, the team that wins two of three doubles matches earns one point toward the final score. Singles matches count for one point each.
NU's No. 1 team of Ryan Edlefsen (Eden Prairie, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson) and Russell Bennett (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) was defeated, 8-5, by John Chesworth and James Cameron, who are currently ranked No. 14 in the nation.
After the Wildcats' No. 2 team of Jackie Jenkins (College Park, Ga./Westlake) and Chuck Perrin (Atlanta, Ga./The Walker School) defeated Patrick Fillnow and Andrew Rogers, 8-5, the pressure was on NU's No. 3 doubles team.
In a 90-minute match, Josh Axler (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) and Tommy Hanus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) defeated Chris Henderson and Peter Netzler to seal the doubles point for Northwestern. The final score was 9-8, and the tiebreaker went 9-7. Each game point garnered a loud, enthusiastic response from the crowd and an emotional display from the players.
Axler carried the momentum from the doubles match into No. 5 singles, where he defeated Patrick Gaughan, 6-0, 6-3. Axler's dual-match win streak now stands at 11.
Playing the No. 1 singles position for the first time at Northwestern, Edlefsen was extended by Chesworth to tiebreakers in both sets, but won by a final of 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3).
Jamie Sahara (Santa Monica, Calif./St. Joseph) started at the No. 2 position and suffered the Wildcats' only loss, a 7-6 (6), 6-0 decision to Cameron.
Northwestern continues its home stretch at the Combe Center at 6 p.m. Friday when they host DePaul.
No. 45 Northwestern 6, No. 64 Furman 1
Doubles
1. Chesworth/Cameron def. Edlefsen/Bennett, 8-5
2. Jenkins/Perrin def. Fillnow/Rogers, 8-5
3. Hanus/Axler def. Henderson/Netzler, 9-8 (7)
Singles
1. Ryan Edlefsen def. John Chesworth, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3)
2. James Cameron def. Jamie Sahara, 7-6 (6), 6-0
3. Tommy Hanus def. Patrick Fillnow, 6-1, 6-2
4. Jackie Jenkins def. Chris Henderson, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
5. Josh Axler def. Patrick Gaughan, 6-0, 6-3
6. Chuck Perrin def. Ryan McCarthy, 6-1, 7-5