Feb. 7, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill.--Northwestern's 58th-ranked men's tennis team defeated the Drake Bulldogs 5-2, improving its record to 4-0 on the current homestand. The victory was the 300th for head coach Paul Torricelli at NU.
Torricelli now has a record of 300-212 in his 21 seasons with the Wildcats, which puts him at the top of the list in career victories for a Northwestern men's tennis head coach.
"It's a function of being in one place a long time," Torricelli said, choosing to focus more on the accomplishments of his players. "Players win tennis matches."
Saturday's win also allowed Torricelli to best another of his former assistant coaches--this time Jay Udwadia, who left Evanston last summer to take over the Bulldog program.
The 'Cats (6-2, 0-1 Big Ten) won two out of three doubles matches to win the doubles point over the Bulldogs (0-1, 0-0 MVC). Ahmed Wahla (Lahore, Pakistan/Lahore American School) and Adam Schaechterle (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine) struck first with an 8-5 win over Jack Frankowicz and Jonathan Tishler at No. 3.
Chuck Perrin (Atlanta, Ga./The Walker School) and Matt Christian (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice) won the pivotal third match, 8-4 over Anthony Perkins and Felipe Montenegro at No. 1, to give NU the point for doubles. The win in doubles moves NU's record to 6-2 in doubles points on the season.
"It was a team effort tonight," Torricelli said. "We wanted to win the doubles point today and we did that."
Willy Lock (Lima, Peru/Markham College) defeated Matthew McClure 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3 for the first singles point of the day for the Wildcats. Tommy Hanus (Palatine Ill./Palatine) then put out a 6-2, 6-2 effort over Perkins at No. 1 to extend NU's lead to 3-0.
Perrin clinched the match just minutes later with his 6-4, 6-3 victory over Montenegro at No. 2. Perrin lobbed a winner over Montenegro's head on match-point to take the two-set win.
The Wildcats have a full slate of action next weekend with a match against Harvard at 3 p.m. Feb. 14 at Combe Tennis Center. NU will then face Arkansas at 1 p.m. the next day, also at home.
No. 58 Northwestern 5, Drake 2
Singles
No. 1 -- Tommy Hanus (NU) def. Anthony Perkins (DU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 -- Chuck Perrin (NU) def. Felipe Montenegro (DU), 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 -- Willy Lock (NU) def. Matthew McClure (DU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 4 -- Jack Frankowicz (DU) def. Adam Schaechterle (NU), 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
No. 5 -- Matt Christian (NU) def. Sergi Vila (DU), 7-6 (7-0), 4-1 (def. inj.)
No. 6 -- Jonathan Tishler (DU) def. Jamie Friedland (NU), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5)
Doubles
No. 1 -- Perrin/Christian (NU) def. Perkins/Montenegro (DU), 8-4
No. 2 -- McClure/Vila (DU) def. Hoeveler/Hanus (NU), 8-6
No. 3 -- Schaechterle/Wahla (NU) def. Frankowicz/Tishler (DU), 8-5