April 14, 2012
Results
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Vandy Christie Tennis Center)
Score: No. 11 Northwestern 6, No. 52 Penn State 1
Records: NU (14-7, 7-1 Big Ten), PSU (11-8, 3-4 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: Sunday, April 15 -- vs. No. 61 Ohio State (Evanston, Ill.), 11 a.m.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In its first match back at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center since March 25, No. 11 Northwestern enjoyed the successful return to its home surface, where it downed the visiting Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday, 6-1.
The victory over the Nittany Lions was the 28th consecutive win in the series for Northwestern. It was also NU's seventh triumph this season in the Big Ten, which helps the 'Cats maintain a share of the top spot in the conference standings alongside Michigan at 7-1. NU defeated the Wolverines last Sunday in Ann Arbor, 4-3.
The nearly unstoppable duo of Kate Turvy and Belinda Niu earned the first win of the day for the Wildcats when they beat back Penn State's Nina Sertic and Fernanda Perrotta, 8-3. The 'Cats claimed four of the first games en route to an 8-3 triumph. With their third straight win as a tandem, Turvy and Niu improved their record together to 12-2 this season.
Brittany Wowchuk and Nida Hamilton were paired together for the third consecutive match and for the third straight time, they posted a win. After splitting the first eight games, the 'Cats dug in and reeled off victories in four straight games to win the set, 8-4, and earn the doubles point for Northwestern.
The final doubles match to conclude was the No. 1 showdown on court two. NU's Linda Abu Mushrefova and Veronica Corning controlled much of the early pace as they raced out to a 6-2 lead against 84th-ranked Petra Januskova and Chelsea Utting. The Nittany Lions roared back to win the next four games to tie it at six apiece and after the Wildcats took a 7-6 lead, they tied it a second time to force a tiebreaker. Penn State carried its momentum into the decider and won, 7-4, to get the lone doubles win.
Abu Mushrefova and Corning both shook off the disappointment quickly as they pounded their way to convincing first-set triumphs in singles. Abu Mushrefova did not surrender a game in the first set as she beat Sertic, 6-0. Corning had little trouble in blowing past Sandor, 6-1.
Both players continued to roll in their second sets. They each dropped the first game of the set, but rallied to win, 6-2. The two team points gave the Wildcats a 3-0 advantage on the overall scoreboard.
Abu Mushrefova picked her 12th singles win of the spring Saturday and her fourth in conference play. For Corning, the victory was her seventh Big Ten win in eight opportunities to date.
Turvy, the 13th-ranked singles player in the country according to the ITA, also won her opening set against No. 74 Januskova with ease, 6-1. As the battle carried on into the second set, Turvy continued to hold the edge. The reigning Big Ten Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week from Northwestern burst out to a 4-1 lead against Januskova and did not look back. She claimed the next two games to lock up her sixth straight win, and more importantly clinch the sixth straight team win for Northwestern.
Niu, playing No. 2, and Hamilton, playing No. 6 also won their respective opening frames. After beating Utting, 6-4, in the first set, Niu won the second set, 6-3, to get back in the win column. Hamilton won the first over Bedard, 6-2, and then held off a late rally to win 6-4 and secure her seventh straight victory. That denotes the longest active winning streak on the squad in singles play.
Wowchuk, who entered the day ranked No. 62 by the ITA, scuffled in her first set against PSU's Perrotta. The Nittany Lion won a grueling opener, 6-4, but Wowchuk rebounded well and opened up a 5-1 lead in the following frame. Perrotta climbed to within two at 5-3, but the Wildcat outlasted her opponent, 6-3, to force a superbreaker.
In the final on-court action of the day, Perrotta raced out to a 5-1 lead and the two competitors switched sides. She continued to excel and closed out the match on a 5-2 run to capture Penn State's lone point.
Northwestern will be right back at it late tomorrow morning when the 61st-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes invade the Vandy Christie Tennis Center. The Wildcats have a 33-6 all-time advantage over the scarlet and grey with Ohio State's last victory in the series coming in 2003. Sunday's first serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Doubles
1. No. 84 Petra Januskova/Chelsea Utting (PSU) def. Linda Abu Mushrefova/Veronica Corning (NU) - 8-7 (4)
2. Brittany Wowchuk/Nida Hamilton (NU) def. Carmen Sandor/Marie-Fredrique Bedard (PSU) - 8-4
3. Kate Turvy/Belinda Niu (NU) def. Nina Sertic/Fernanda Perrotta (PSU) - 8-3
Order of finish: 3, 2*, 1
Singles
1. No. 13 Kate Turvy (NU) vs. No. 74 Petra Januskova (PSU) - 6-1, 6-1
2. Belinda Niu (NU) def. Chelsea Utting (PSU) - 6-4, 6-3
3. Fernanda Perrotta (PSU def. No. 62 Brittany Wowchuk (NU) - 6-4, 3-6 (10-3)
4. Veronica Corning (NU) def. Carmen Sandor (PSU) - 6-1, 6-2
5. Linda Abu Mushrefova (NU) def. Nina Sertic (PSU) - 6-0, 6-2
6. Nida Hamilton (NU) def. Marie-Fredrique Bedard (PSU) - 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 5, 4, 1*, 2, 5, 3
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