April 12, 2009
Results
EVANSTON, Ill. -- It was Alexander Thams' turn to wow the crowd as his marathon three-set win over Iowa's Reinoud Haal decided the match in Northwestern's favor Sunday afternoon at Combe Tennis Center. In their third consecutive dual decided by the final match, this one lasting well over four hours, the Wildcats (17-6, 5-3) won four singles matches en route to defeating Iowa (11-7, 3-5) and upped their win streak to four as they continue to make their case for the NCAA tournament.
In the first set, Alexander Thams (Stockholm, Sweden/Enskilda Gymnasiet) was broken early and had multiple opportunities to even the frame, but Hawkeye Reinoud Haal managed to hold on to a 6-4 decision. The Hawkeye junior jumped to a lead in the second set as well, but Thams managed to break back and even it at 3-all. The Wildcat held serve in the next game and then broke again to take a 5-3 lead, only for Haal to break back and send the set back on serve. The two players each held serve, but Thams broke for the final time to take the set, 7-5.
The third set was a show of shotmaking as both players covered all angles of the court and hit shots that landed just inside the line. After exchanging breaks yet again to open the set, Thams broke to take a 4-2 lead on a running crosscourt forehand that clipped the net and landed just inside the sideline. In the very next game, however, Haal fought back and gave himself two break point opportunities; Thams saved one but a backhand sailed just long to even the match again.
With the dual on the line, Thams' play hit a new level as the Wildcat played tenacious defense to give himself a chance to break Haal's next service game. After getting the ad with an overhead, a long rally ended with a Haal backhand in the net, giving Thams the 5-3 lead and the chance to serve out the match. The Hawkeye managed to get a break point to try to extend the match, but Thams brushed it aside with a blistering forehand approach shot and a Haal forehand into the net sealed the victory for the `Cats.
Thams was not the only Wildcat with a come-from-behind victory on Sunday. Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) pulled some heroics of his own after dropping the first set of his No. 4 singles match to Will Vasos. The Wildcat junior lost his serve just once in that frame, but that's all Vasos needed as he took it, 6-3.
In the second set, it looked to be more of the same as the Hawkeye freshman jumped to an early lead and even served for the match up 5-4. With only three matches left on court and a 2-2 tie in the dual, the Wildcat captain lived up to the moment and broke to even the match with a forehand winner. The two players each held serve to send it into a tiebreak, from which Sanborn emerged victorious with a backhand lob that fell just out of Vasos' reach. The momentum stayed with Sanborn into the third where he dominated, 6-0, to put the `Cats' third point on the board.
For just the fifth time in 23 duals, the Wildcats dropped the doubles point. Tommy McGeorge and Will Vasos posted an 8-5 victory over Joshua Graves (Milwaukee, Wis./Nicolet) and Tobias Reitz (Reinbeck, Germany/Sachsenwaldschule Reinbeck).
The `Cats struck back with an 8-5 decision of their own at No. 1 where Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) and Marc Dwyer (Peachtree City, Ga./University of Nebraska - Independent Study H.S.) defeated Iowa's Christian Bierich and Reinoud Haal. The Wildcat duo got the break they needed in the ninth game and a Sanborn return winner sealed another break to win the match.
The doubles point came down to the No. 3 matchup between NU's Andrew McCarthy and Alexander Thams and Iowa's Greg Holm and Tom Mroziewicz. The two teams exchanged breaks early, but Iowa managed to break again and served for the match at 7-6. The `Cats broke and kept their hopes alive with a Thams volley into the open court to event it at seven-all.
Both teams held serve again and the deciding doubles match was sent into a tiebreak. The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 6-1 advantage and the `Cats managed to save two match points with a McCarthy service winner and a Thams volley. Holm and Mroziewicz wouldn't let their third match point slip away and won it, 7-3 in the tiebreak.
After losing the doubles point for just the fifth time in 23 duals, the `Cats bounced back immediately with as Josh Graves demolished the Hawkeyes' Nikita Zotov with a 6-0, 6-0 score at No. 3. The Wildcat southpaw leads the team with an 18-3 record in dual singles.
Iowa briefly regained the lead at No. 1 singles where reigning Big Ten Singles Champion Christian Bierich defeated Marc Dwyer, 6-2, 6-2.
Northwestern quickly tied it up when Eric Spector (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) posted victory over Tommy McGeorge at No. 5. The two players exchanged service games twice in the first frame before Spector got the extra one he needed to hold on for the 6-4 set. In the second set, the Wildcat freshman showed off his court coverage several times as he cruised to the 6-1 win.
The `Cats' Andrew McCarthy lost a heartbreaker to Mroziewicz at No. 6 singles. After winning the first set 6-2, the NU sophomore was up a break in the second but couldn't hold on as Mroziewicz forced a tiebreak. McCarthy saved three set points in the breaker, but the Hawkeye held on for the set and played well in the third to take the match and keep the Hawks' hopes alive.
Northwestern finish their regular season conference slate next weekend at Ohio State Friday afternoon and Penn State Sunday morning. Play is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and 10 a.m., respectively.
Northwestern 4, Iowa 3
Doubles:
1. Marc Dwyer/Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Christian Bierich/Reinoud Haal (IOWA) 8-5
2. Tommy McGeorge/Will Vasos (IOWA) def. Joshua Graves/Tobias Reitz (NU) 8-5
3. Gregory Holm/Tom Mroziewicz (IOWA) def. Andrew McCarthy/Alexander Thams (NU) 9-8 (7-3)
Singles:
1. Christian Bierich (IOWA) def. Marc Dwyer (NU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Alexander Thams (NU) def. Reinoud Haal (IOWA) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Joshua Graves (NU) def. Nikita Zotov (IOWA) 6-0, 6-0
4. Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Will Vasos (IOWA) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
5. Eric Spector (NU) def. Tommy McGeorge (IOWA) 6-4, 6-1
6. Tom Mroziewicz (IOWA) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,1,5,4,6,2)