LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Northwestern came from behind to take down No. 37 Louisville on Sunday afternoon, getting two clutch wins in the final two singles matches to record a 4-3 victory.
The Wildcats fell behind early as the Cardinals took the doubles point, getting wins at No. 1 and No. 3. NU duo Chris Ephron and Dominik Stary won their set at No. 2 doubles, 6-2.
The deficit didn't last long as Trice Pickens cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles to tie up the match early in singles play. Nick Brookes then followed suit with a straight-set triumph at No. 2, beating Brandon Lancaster 6-4, 6-4 and giving the 'Cats a 2-1 lead in the match.
Louisville then came back with consecutive victories of its own, taking decisions at No. 4 and No. 1 to go up 3-2 in the team score. With two matchups still in action, Northwestern needed to win both to come away with the victory.
At No. 5, Simen Bratholm battled Federico Gomez in a tight contest. Each of the first two sets were decided by tiebreakers, with Gomez taking the first and Bratholm winning the second to force a third. With the pressure on in the final frame, the first year came through, cruising to a 6-2 victory that knotted the match at three team points apiece.
The result came down to the matchup at No. 3, where Antonioni Fasano faced off against Fabien Salle. Fasano had won the first set before Salle came back strong in the second, sending the pair to a deciding third. The Wildcat sophomore gave a clutch performance with his teammates watching, recording a 6-3 victory to seal the win for Chicago's Big Ten Team.
The result marked six wins in eight matches for the Wildcats, as they improve to 9-7 on the campaign. They have also now won three of the past four against the Cardinals.
Next up for Northwestern is a visit to in-state rivals Illinois on Friday evening, where they will take on the eighth-ranked Illini at 6 p.m. CT. The contest will the last of a four-match road trip for the 'Cats before they return home on Sunday, March 10.
#41 Northwestern 4, #37 Louisville 3
March 3, 2019
Doubles
1. C. Morin-Kougoucheff/Fabien Salle (LOU) def. Simen Bratholm/Nick Brookes (NU) 6-3
2. Chris Ephron/Dominik Stary (NU) def. Brandon Lancaster/George Hedley (LOU) 6-2
3. Federico Gomez/Alex Wesbrooks (LOU) def. Trice Pickens/Antonioni Fasano (NU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
Singles
1. C. Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) def. Dominik Stary (NU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Nick Brookes (NU) def. Brandon Lancaster (LOU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Antonioni Fasano (NU) def. Fabien Salle (LOU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
4. Sergio Hernandez (LOU) def. Chris Ephron (NU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Simen Bratholm (NU) def. Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
6. Trice Pickens (NU) def. David Mizrahi (LOU) 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 4, 1, 5, 3*
••••••
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The Wildcats fell behind early as the Cardinals took the doubles point, getting wins at No. 1 and No. 3. NU duo Chris Ephron and Dominik Stary won their set at No. 2 doubles, 6-2.
The deficit didn't last long as Trice Pickens cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles to tie up the match early in singles play. Nick Brookes then followed suit with a straight-set triumph at No. 2, beating Brandon Lancaster 6-4, 6-4 and giving the 'Cats a 2-1 lead in the match.
Louisville then came back with consecutive victories of its own, taking decisions at No. 4 and No. 1 to go up 3-2 in the team score. With two matchups still in action, Northwestern needed to win both to come away with the victory.
At No. 5, Simen Bratholm battled Federico Gomez in a tight contest. Each of the first two sets were decided by tiebreakers, with Gomez taking the first and Bratholm winning the second to force a third. With the pressure on in the final frame, the first year came through, cruising to a 6-2 victory that knotted the match at three team points apiece.
The result came down to the matchup at No. 3, where Antonioni Fasano faced off against Fabien Salle. Fasano had won the first set before Salle came back strong in the second, sending the pair to a deciding third. The Wildcat sophomore gave a clutch performance with his teammates watching, recording a 6-3 victory to seal the win for Chicago's Big Ten Team.
The result marked six wins in eight matches for the Wildcats, as they improve to 9-7 on the campaign. They have also now won three of the past four against the Cardinals.
Next up for Northwestern is a visit to in-state rivals Illinois on Friday evening, where they will take on the eighth-ranked Illini at 6 p.m. CT. The contest will the last of a four-match road trip for the 'Cats before they return home on Sunday, March 10.
#41 Northwestern 4, #37 Louisville 3
March 3, 2019
Doubles
1. C. Morin-Kougoucheff/Fabien Salle (LOU) def. Simen Bratholm/Nick Brookes (NU) 6-3
2. Chris Ephron/Dominik Stary (NU) def. Brandon Lancaster/George Hedley (LOU) 6-2
3. Federico Gomez/Alex Wesbrooks (LOU) def. Trice Pickens/Antonioni Fasano (NU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
Singles
1. C. Morin-Kougoucheff (LOU) def. Dominik Stary (NU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Nick Brookes (NU) def. Brandon Lancaster (LOU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Antonioni Fasano (NU) def. Fabien Salle (LOU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
4. Sergio Hernandez (LOU) def. Chris Ephron (NU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Simen Bratholm (NU) def. Federico Gomez (LOU) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
6. Trice Pickens (NU) def. David Mizrahi (LOU) 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 4, 1, 5, 3*
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!