April 30, 2011
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: No. 19 Northwestern 4, Illinois 2
Records: NU (19-7, 9-1 Big Ten), Illinois (11-13, 5-5 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, May 1 -- vs. Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 11 a.m. CT
Live Stats
TV Coverage: Big Ten Network tape delay (Saturday, May 7 - 10 a.m. CT)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Northwestern's run to its 13th-straight Big Ten Tournament final was never in doubt on Saturday at Michigan's Varsity Tennis center as the second-seeded Wildcats secured the doubles point with two convincing wins en route to a 4-0 sweep of intrastate rival Illinois. The win secured NU's spot in the finals against familiar foe Michigan for the seventh straight year.
Because of projected weather concerns, the official time of Sunday's match will be decided by 9 a.m. As of Saturday evening, it is expected that the match will be outdoors at 11 a.m. CT. Look for news early Sunday morning here, at NUsports.com.
NU got to work early with their doubles point, getting a strong win from the No.1 team of Linda Abu Mushrefova and Nida Hamilton. The Wildcats duo pounced out of the gate to a 5-1 lead over Rachael White and Allison Falkin on their way to an 8-2 victory.
Brittany Wowchuk and Elena Chernyakova finished things off for the 'Cats, upending Illinois' Amy Allin and Chelcie Abaijan at No. 3 with great serving and even better returning, 8-5. With the first team point in Northwestern's favor, the No. 2 match between the 'Cats' Maria Mosolova and Belinda Niu and the Illini's Annie McCarthy and Breanne Smutko was abandoned at a 6-6 tie.
Straight into singles the semifinals went, and Northwestern never relented. In fact, the Wildcats never so much as forfeited a single set to the Illini, winning all nine sets played.
Thirteenth-ranked Maria Mosolova had a respectable day on the No. 1 line as she toppled 105th-ranked Rachael White, 6-1, 6-0. When it was all said and done, the Wildcats senior had won 10-straight games over White, giving NU a 2-0 cushion.
"We came out and played great tennis today," said head coach Claire Pollard, who earned her 305th victory. "You can never overlook a team like Illinois, who gave us a good run the first time we met this year. But Maria [Mosolova] showed what it is all about playing as a No. 1. She had a great win, as did Belinda [Niu] and Kate [Turvy]. Our singles play was something to be proud of today."
Shortly after Mosolova's victory, freshman Belinda Niu finished an impressive match of her own, overwhelming Amy Allin, 6-1, 6-2. Niu has now accumulated 18 wins this season, second most behind Mosolova's 20.
Sophomore Kate Turvy lost the first four games of the first match, but came back to win and clinch the second set in exciting fashion, 6-4, 6-3 over Allison Falkin. Turvy's second win this tournament wrapped up the 4-0 sweep over Illinois.
Three matches were left unfinished after Turvy's win, and NU held the lead or momentum in all three. At No. 3 singles, Brittany Wowchuk was up 6-4, 5-4 on Breanne Smutko, and was poised to win the sixth game; Stacey Lee found herself in a battle at No. 5 after winning the first set easily. Lee was down 3-5 early, but stormed back to tie it 5 games apiece when the match was clinched; Linda Abu Mushrefova won a very tough tiebreaker in the first set, 7-6, over Leigh Finnegan, and she held a 2-1 advantage over the Illinois senior in the second.
The tournament comes to a close on Sunday as two powerhouses in Northwestern and Michigan clash for the seventh straight year.
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 13 Maria Mosolova (NU) d. No. 105 Rachael White (Ill), 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 -- No. 75 Belinda Niu (NU) d. Amy Allin (Ill), 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 -- No. 78 Brittany Wowchuk (NU) vs. Breanne Smutko (Ill), 6-2, 5-4 abandoned
No. 4 -- Kate Turvy (NU) d. Allison Falkin (Ill), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 -- Stacey Lee (NU) vs. Annie McCarthy (Ill), 6-3, 5-5 abandoned
No. 6 -- Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) vs. Leigh Finnegan (Ill), 7-6, 2-1 abandoned
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 11 Nida Hamilton/Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) d. No. 39 Rachael White/Allison Falkin (Ill), 8-2
No. 2 -- Maria Mosolova/Belinda Niu (NU) vs. Annie McCarthy/Breanne Smutko (Ill), 6-6 abandoned
No. 3 -- Brittany Wowchuk/Elena Cherynakova (NU) d. Amy Allin/Chelcie Abaijan (Ill), 8-5
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3, Singles 1-2-4
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