Northwestern Falls Short to No. 16 Alabama, 5-2

Feb. 1, 2003

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern swept the doubles point and took the first singles match for a quick two-point lead, but No. 16 Alabama won the last five singles matches to secure a 5-2 win Saturday at Combe Tennis Center. With the loss, NU dropped to 3-1 on the season.

Jackie Jenkins (College Park, Ga./Westlake) and Chuck Perrin (Atlanta, Ga./The Walker School) completed the doubles sweep for Northwestern, outlasting Alabama's Geoff Hiscox and Stephen Mitchell, 9-8 (6), the eighth-ranked tandem in the nation. Jenkins and Perrin are 7-2 this season, including 3-1 in dual competition.

The Wildcats went up 2-0 after Tommy Hanus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) earned a win against Maxim Belski, who retired with a wrist injury in the first set. Hanus improved to 12-8 in 2003.

Christian Broderson clinched the match for Alabama with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win against Adam Schaechterle (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine).

Northwestern returns to action Feb. 8 against Wisconsin at Combe Tennis Center. Match time is set for 4 p.m.

Alabama 5, Northwestern 2

Doubles
1. Jackie Jenkins/Chuck Perrin (NU) def. Geoff Hiscox/Stephen Mitchell (ALA), 9-8 (6)
2. Josh Axler/Adam Schaechterle (NU) def. Chris Gostek/William Boyles (ALA), 8-4
3. Tommy Hanus/Russell Bennett (NU) def. Christian Broderson/Brad Friedman (ALA), 8-2

Singles
1. Hanus (NU) def. Maxim Belski (ALA), 5-2, ret. inj.
2. Mitchell (ALA) def. Jenkins (NU, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5
3. Gostek (ALA) def. Axler (NU), 6-4, 6-4
4. Hiscox (ALA) def. Perrin (NU), 7-6, 6-3
5. Broderson (ALA) def. Schaechterle (NU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
6. Michael Ray Pallares (ALA) def. Ahmed Wahla (NU), 6-2, 6-2