Feb. 3, 2011
No. 23 Northwestern (2-2, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 71 Minnesota (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 5
Combe Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. 11 a.m. CT
Live Stats: NUsports.com
2011 Northwestern Dual Statistics
No. 23 Northwestern (2-2, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 6 Duke (1-1, 0-0 ACC)
Sunday, Feb. 6
Combe Tennis Center
Evanston, Ill. Noon CT
Live Stats: NUsports.com
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In the midst of five-match homestand, No. 23 Northwestern returns to the courts at the Combe Tennis Center when it hosts Minnesota at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both teams. On Sunday, NU faces its stiffest test of the year when No. 6 Duke comes to town, with start time set for noon in Evanston.
Both matches this weekend offer free admission, free pizza and chances to win great prizes for all fans in attendance. NU's match against Duke Sunday will also be the site of ITA Campus Kids Day in Evanston. Campus Kids Days are intended to expose as many junior level players, their parents and coaches to the NCAA tennis atmosphere. For more about the ITA's Campus Kids Day program, click here.
'Cats Coming Off Sweeps in Indoor Qualifying
Northwestern hosted the qualifying rounds of the ITA National Indoor Team Championship last weekend, holding off a pair of quality teams to earn a spot in the tournament's main draw Feb. 18-21. NU first defeated No. 44 Harvard, 5-0, before eliminating a future conference opponent in No. 34 Nebraska with a 7-0 sweep. The two time defending indoor team champion, NU will try to make it three in a row when it heads to the round of 16 at the University of Virginia -- the first time in the 24-year history of the tournament it has been held anywhere other than Wisconsin.
A trio of NU singles players -- Maria Mosolova, Brittany Wowchuk and Kate Turvy -- are riding high with wins in their last three outings. Mosolova, the three-time singles ITA All-American, is now 11-4 since the start of her senior season to improve her career record at Northwestern to a stellar 132-28.
Scouting the Gophers
Minnesota began the 2011 dual season with an ITA ranking of No. 72 and has since split its first two matches of the year, first falling 4-3 to No. 53 Marshall before topping an upcoming Northwestern opponent, Kentucky, by a 5-2 score. Freshman Natalia Pintusava was a bright spot early on for the Gophers, winning Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Jan. 25 after upsetting 27th-ranked Michaela Kissell of Marshall at No. 1 singles. The Gophers also feature three veteran seniors in Alessandra Ferrazzi, Peta Forsyth and Mariana Spilca. Minnesota is looking to improve on a 2010 dual season in which it finished 10-13 overall and 3-7 in the Big Ten.
Scouting the Blue Devils
No. 7 Duke is 4-0 thus far after topping Brown and Texas A&M in the qualifying rounds of the ITA National Indoor Team Championship. Duke has been bolstered this year by the addition of Nadine Fahoum, who transferred to Durham for her senior season after an outstanding three seasons playing for Old Dominion. Fahoum is 2-1 at the No. 1 dual singles position this season and 14-4 overall since joining the Blue Devils. Seniors Reka Zsilinszka (No. 4 in Campbell's/ITA College Tennis poll) and Ellah Nze (No. 49) remain key fixtures in Duke's singles lineup reshman Hanna Mar -- a product of Hinsdale Central and high school teammate of NU's Nida Hamilton -- has made early contributions at No. 5 and 6 singles.
Last season, Duke managed to win a 5-2 decision over NU on March 24 in Durham.
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