April 25, 2010
Results
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Combe Tennis Center)
Score: Penn State 4, Northwestern 3
Records: NU (9-14, 1-9 Big Ten), Penn State (25-10, 3-7 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Thursday, April 29 — vs. TBA (Big Ten Tournament hosted by Indiana)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to Penn State on Senior Day at Combe Tennis Center Sunday afternoon. Wildcat senior Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) completed his regular season college career with a three-set win at No. 5 singles, the 62nd victory of his career. The 'Cats next head to the Big Ten Tournament, hosted by Indiana, April 29-May 2.
"Alex Sanborn is one of the best kids I've ever known," said head coach Arvid Swan. "Part of my job is to win tennis matches, but the other part is to coach young people to be ready for the world. I haven't really had to do that much with Alex. He has been a great leader who cared more about the team than himself."
Like so many previous matches this season, doubles came down to just one match. With No. 3 decided in NU's favor and the Nittany Lions taking No. 1, the point came down to No. 2 between the team of Sanborn and Tobias Reitz (Reinbeck, Germany/Sachsenwaldschule Reinbeck) against Penn State's Ryan Gormley and Warren Hardie.
After exchanging breaks to start the match, the 'Cats broke once more to take an 8-7 lead. Gormley and Hardie broke back to even it at 8-all and force a tiebreak. The Nittany Lions took a 6-3 lead in the breaker and the 'Cats managed to close it to 5-6 on a Reitz ace, but a Hardie volley sealed it for Penn State, 7-5.
The Nittany Lions built on their lead with a 6-4, 6-4 Bryan Welnetz win over NU's Andrew McCarthy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) at No. 4 singles. Warren Hardie made it 3-0 for PSU with a close match over Spencer Wolf (Coral Springs, Fla./Laurel Springs) that saw the first set come down to a 7-5 tiebreak.
Northwestern got on the board behind a Chris Jackman (Key Biscayne, Fla./Gulliver Prep) victory at No. 6 singles. Jackman took out Penn State's Taylor Cohen in straights, taking the first set 6-4. In the second, the Wildcat freshman fell down a break, but fought to force a tiebreak.
In the breaker, Jackman took an early 3-0 lead and never looked back, taking it 7-4 on a Cohen backhand that fell just long.
With three matches left on court, the atmosphere in Combe Tennis Center was electric as the 'Cats were clawing their way back in all three matches. No. 1 and No. 5 singles were completely nearly simultaneously.
At No. 5, senior Alex Sanborn took on Guillaume St-Maurice and made sure that his last match at home was a victory. Sanborn dropped a close first set, 5-7, before storming back in the second and taking an early lead that he never relinquished. The Wildcat senior hit a forehand passing shot to break the St-Maurice serve for the third time in the set, taking it 6-3 to even the match.
In the third, the two players exchanged breaks of serve twice before Sanborn got the extra break he needed. This time, he held on for the victory and served it out.
Almost simultaneously, Joshua Graves (Milwauke, Wis./Nicolet) dropped a three-set nailbiter to Penn State's Eddie Bourchier at No. 1, clinching the match for the Nittany Lions.
Graves dominated the first frame, 6-2, before Bourchier came back to take the second just as easily, 6-1. In the third, Graves attacked the net, playing more serve and volley and took an early break. Serving down 4-5, Graves saved two match points but was unable to even it up, falling by a 6-4 margin.
Northwestern's third point of the match came at No. 2 singles, where Sidarth Balaji (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) notched his second consecutive victory, this one over Penn State's Ryan Gormley.
The Wildcat freshman dropped the first set, 6-3, but came back to take the second in a close breaker. Balaji saved a match point down 6-7, before taking the tiebreak 9-7 on a Gormley forehand that sailed long. Balaji then ran away with the third set, 6-2.
NU wraps up its season April 29-May 2 at the Big Ten Tournament hosted by Indiana.
#75 Penn State 4, #57 Northwestern 3
Singles
1. #108 Eddie Bourchier (PSU) def. #91 Joshua Graves (NU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
2. Sidarth Balaji (NU) def. Ryan Gormley (PSU) 3-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
3. Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Spencer Wolf (NU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
4. Bryan Welnetz (PSU) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU) 6-4, 6-4
5. Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Guillaume St-Maurice (PSU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
6. Chris Jackman (NU) def. Taylor Cohen (PSU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles
1. Eddie Bourchier/Guillaume St-Maurice (PSU) def. #54 Joshua Graves/Spencer Wolf (NU) 8-3
2. Ryan Gormley/Warren Hardie (PSU) def. Alex Sanborn/Tobias Reitz (NU) 9-8 (7-5)
3. Sidarth Balaji/Andrew McCarthy (NU) def. Taylor Cohen/C.J. Griffin (PSU) 8-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,3,6,5,1,2)