April 25, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - There is a sense of d?j? vu in the air for the Northwestern men's tennis team.
At the 2001 Big Ten Men's Tennis Tournament, Northwestern defeated Purdue after falling to the Boilermakers in the regular season. This year, the Wildcats have the advantage of a regular-season victory as they take on the Boilermakers in Friday's quarterfinal action.
The 43rd-ranked 'Cats finished fourth in the Big Ten Conference regular-season standings with a 13-8 overall record and a 6-4 league mark. Tied with No. 41 Purdue in conference wins, NU claimed the higher seed due to its 5-2 victory over the Boilermakers in Evanston Feb. 2.
History is also on the side of the 'Cats. In the 103 years of men's tennis at Northwestern, they hold a 56-15 record against Purdue. In addition, NU has advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament 12 of the last 13 years, including last year, when the 'Cats fell to Ohio State. And the feeling still lingers from the conference championship of 1990.
Despite the edge, head coach Paul Torricelli is entering the tournament cautiously.
"We have a real challenge with Purdue," he said. "They are playing much better than they were in February and are very strong in doubles. That will be the key to the match."
NU has not won a doubles point in a dual match since March 26 at San Diego. Tommy Hanus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) and Russell Bennett (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) are still playing the No. 1 doubles position, but Torricelli has switched up the remaining pairs in the last two matches.
Another key to the match will be the play of NU's three seniors: Jamie Sahara (Santa Maria, Calif./St. Joseph), Ryan Edlefsen (Eden Prairie, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson) and Joost Hol (Newport Beach, Calif./Foothill).
"Our seniors are playing like seniors," Torricelli said. "Joost has been getting back to form in the last two weeks, and Jamie should continue to play solidly at the championship."
The Big Ten Conference Championship is being hosted by Ohio State at the Stickney Tennis Center. Northwestern's match against Purdue will take place Friday at 2 p.m. EST. In the event of inclement weather, the tournament will be relocated to the Jesse Owens West Recreation Center and the Wickertree Tennis Club in Columbus.