Jan. 26, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After splitting a pair of contests against ranked opponents last weekend, the 'Cats will welcome two more to the Combe Tennis Center this weekend. The Wildcats will host No. 42 San Diego Friday at 6 p.m. before facing 24th-ranked Wake Forest Sunday at 9 a.m. The tandem of Christian Tempke (Wentorf, Germany/Gymnasium LohbrÜgge) and Juan Gomez (Mexico City, Mexico) have posted a 4-0 record in duals.
Schedule Note:
The Wildcats' dual against Wake Forest will begin with SINGLES PLAY, Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
Torch's Take
"This will be the first time we've ever had San Diego here in Evanston," head coach Paul Torricelli said. "They've been a traditional opponent over the years on Spring Trips and we've had some real battles. I look for them to be tough from top to bottom."
"Wake is a legitimate Top 25 team and loaded," Torricelli said. "Jeff (Zinn) has done a great job building the program and they have no weaknesses. We had a great match with them there last year and I expect more of the same on Sunday morning."
"We'll have to get the same kind of effort we've gotten from everyone this weekend, plus play the big points better," Torricelli said. That's been the difference in the losses to Pepperdine and Louisville. With our schedule, every weekend is an opportunity and this will be no exception. The singles-first format on Sunday could be especially interesting if we go into doubles tied 3-3."
Follow Matches From Your Computer!
Live results will be provided for every home match held indoors at the Combe Tennis Center. Live Stats can be found under the match name on the front page of NUsports.com or at this link: Tennis Live Stats.
Northwestern Notes
The 'Cats play matches five and six of a seven-match home stand to start the 2007 dual schedule. The Wildcats will welcome plenty of competition to Evanston this winter. No. 42 San Diego and No. 24 Wake Forest are in town this weekend. Prominent foes such as Mississippi and Arkansas will be visiting later this season.
Freshman Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) is enjoying a solid start to his first dual season as a Wildcat. Sanborn is 3-1 playing in the No. 5 and No. 6 singles spots.
The ITA released its regional rankings on December 8, 2006 and two Wildcats appear in the Midwest singles top-30. Tempke is No. 19 and senior Willy Lock (Lima, Peru/Markham College) sits at No. 30. In doubles, the pair of Lock and fellow senior Matt Christian (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice) are the sixth-ranked tandem in the region. Lock and Christian are the nation's 27th-ranked doubles team.