April 13, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's men's tennis team wraps up its home schedule this weekend when it hosts a pair of conference opponents at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center. The 61st-ranked 'Cats host Purdue at noon Saturday, April 15, before in state rival and fifth-ranked Illinois comes to Evanston for a noon match on Sunday, April 16.
The Wildcats (10-8, 4-3) enter the weekend's duals after splitting a pair of conference contests last weekend. NU fell to No. 40 Minnesota 5-2 Saturday before rebounding versus Iowa in a 7-0 shutout win on Senior Day.
Northwestern's 55th-ranked senior Christian Tempke (Wentorf, Germany/Gymnasium Lohbrügge) has seen the most action at No. 1 singles this season, compiling a 9-8 record. Tempke is 16-12 overall this year.
Junior Willy Lock (Lima, Peru/Markham College) has been on a recent hot streak, winning eight of his last 10 matches. Lock has won a team-high 13 singles matches this spring while playing mostly at No. 2, and stands at 14-8 overall this year.
Senior captain Adam Schaechterle (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine) has taken seven of his last eight singles contests and is 12-4 overall in dual matches. Schaechterle is 6-2 at both the No. 5 and No. 6 singles position this season.
In doubles, Northwestern's team of Schaechterle and junior Matt Christian (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice) has won five out of its last seven matches, including two victories over teams ranked top-50 by the ITA. The two are 9-7 at the top doubles position this season and 11-8 overall.
Purdue (7-11, 2-4) split a pair of conference home matches last weekend. The Boilermakers fell Saturday with a 7-0 loss to then-No. 35 Michigan, as the Wolverines swept through the Purdue lineup. Purdue rebounded one day later to post a 4-3 victory over Michigan State. Against the Spartans, Griffin Nienberg came through with a 7-6, 1-6, 7-5 match-clinching victory at No. 6 singles.
The Boilermakers, who boast no players ranked by the ITA in singles or doubles, are led by senior Colin Foster. Foster has played No. 1 singles in a majority of Purdue's duals this season and has comprised a 5-9 record at the top spot. He is 11-17 overall on the year.
In doubles, junior Eric Hodgman and freshman Patrick Rose combine for the Boilermakers' No. 1 doubles team. The team is 6-3 in dual matches this year, 12-5 overall.
The 'Cats lead the all-time series with the Boilermakers 59-17-2.
Following the Purdue dual, one of the country's elite programs, No. 5 Illinois, makes the trip north from Champaign to face the Wildcats on Sunday.
The Illini, the defending Big Ten champions, enter the weekend after taking a 7-0 shutout decision over No. 30 Kentucky Wednesday.
Illinois has four players ranked in the most recent ITA poll, highlighted by third-ranked senior Ryler DeHeart. DeHeart is 30-5 overall this year, including a 5-0 mark at the No. 1 singles position. DeHeart has won eight of his last 11 singles matches, with his three losses all coming to players ranked in the top-15.
Sophomore Kevin Anderson is ranked 20th by the ITA and is 18-3 overall in singles this year. Anderson hasn't seen singles play in a dual match since April 2, but he is 20-1 in doubles this season while playing a majority of the matches at No. 1 doubles.
No. 60 Ryan Rowe is 26-4 overall this year. The sophomore has played anywhere from the No. 2 to the No. 5 position this season and has won seven of his last eight matches.
The fourth ranked player for the Illini is 64th-ranked junior G.D. Jones. Jones is 11-6 in singles this year while compiling an 8-8 doubles record.
In doubles, the Illini duo of Anderson and Rowe is ranked No. 4, while DeHeart and Pramod Dabir are No. 17, DeHeart and Ruben Gonzales are No. 41 and Dabir and Brandon Davis are ranked No. 54.
Northwestern trails the all-time series with the Illini 38-47-2.