EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern took care of Notre Dame in a 6-1 victory on Sunday afternoon in its home opener at the Combe Tennis Center.
The Wildcats improved to 2-3 in the early season while dropping the Fighting Irish to 6-3. The visitors had picked up Power 5 wins this season over Colorado, Purdue and Michigan State.
Northwestern pounced early with a doubles point featuring strong sets across the board. Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina claimed a 6-3 win at No. 1 while Sydney Pratt and Hannah McColgan found their form with a 6-2 win at No. 2 to secure the 1-0 overall lead. At No. 3, Briana Crowley and Christina Hand had a 5-3 lead.
Ema Lazic wrapped up her match at No. 5 to make it 2-0, pulling away from Carrie Beckman with a 6-0, 6-0, double bagel.
Cl. Hand followed suit with the second straight set win of the day, a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 1 over Julia Andreach.
Despite the 3-0 lead, three of the remaining matches all went the distance. Justine Leong clinched the match at 4-0 with a 6-0, 0-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4 over Yashna Yellayi, who went 8-5 last year for Notre Dame in singles playing across the 4-6 spots in the lineup.
The Irish claimed their lone point of the day at No. 2 before Crowley completed an impressive 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback over Maria Olivia Castedo at No. 6.
While Pratt's match was the third straight set victory for the 'Cats, it took the longest to complete. The first-year battled for a 7-6, 7-6 win over Nibedita Ghosh featuring a satisfying 8-6 tiebreak in the second to put the stamp on an overall 6-1 win for the team. Ghosh is a freshman for Notre Dame who, like Pratt, was ranked in the top-40 by Tennis Recruiting before college.
The Wildcats continue their February homestand next week with a Sunday doubleheader against Harvard and Miami starting at noon.
Full results for the match can be found below
Notre Dame vs Northwestern
02/03/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern 6, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1
Singles competition
1. #85 Clarissa Hand (NUW) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-3, 6-4
2. Page Freeman (ND-W) def. Maria Shusharina (NUW) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
3. Sydney Pratt (NUW) def. Nibedita Ghosh (ND-W) 7-6, 7-6 (8-6)
4. Justine Leong (NUW) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 6-0, 0-6, 6-3
5. Ema Lazic (NUW) def. Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 6-0, 6-0
6. Briana Crowley (NUW) def. Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Clarissa Hand/Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Page Freeman/Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-3
2. Sydney Pratt/Hannah McColgan (NUW) def. Carrie Beckman/Meghan Coleman (ND-W) 6-2
3. Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NUW) vs. Nibedita Ghosh/Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) 5-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,1,4,2,6,3)
The Wildcats improved to 2-3 in the early season while dropping the Fighting Irish to 6-3. The visitors had picked up Power 5 wins this season over Colorado, Purdue and Michigan State.
Northwestern pounced early with a doubles point featuring strong sets across the board. Clarissa Hand and Maria Shusharina claimed a 6-3 win at No. 1 while Sydney Pratt and Hannah McColgan found their form with a 6-2 win at No. 2 to secure the 1-0 overall lead. At No. 3, Briana Crowley and Christina Hand had a 5-3 lead.
Ema Lazic wrapped up her match at No. 5 to make it 2-0, pulling away from Carrie Beckman with a 6-0, 6-0, double bagel.
Cl. Hand followed suit with the second straight set win of the day, a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 1 over Julia Andreach.
Despite the 3-0 lead, three of the remaining matches all went the distance. Justine Leong clinched the match at 4-0 with a 6-0, 0-6, 6-3 victory at No. 4 over Yashna Yellayi, who went 8-5 last year for Notre Dame in singles playing across the 4-6 spots in the lineup.
The Irish claimed their lone point of the day at No. 2 before Crowley completed an impressive 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback over Maria Olivia Castedo at No. 6.
While Pratt's match was the third straight set victory for the 'Cats, it took the longest to complete. The first-year battled for a 7-6, 7-6 win over Nibedita Ghosh featuring a satisfying 8-6 tiebreak in the second to put the stamp on an overall 6-1 win for the team. Ghosh is a freshman for Notre Dame who, like Pratt, was ranked in the top-40 by Tennis Recruiting before college.
The Wildcats continue their February homestand next week with a Sunday doubleheader against Harvard and Miami starting at noon.
Full results for the match can be found below
Notre Dame vs Northwestern
02/03/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern 6, Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1
Singles competition
1. #85 Clarissa Hand (NUW) def. Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-3, 6-4
2. Page Freeman (ND-W) def. Maria Shusharina (NUW) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
3. Sydney Pratt (NUW) def. Nibedita Ghosh (ND-W) 7-6, 7-6 (8-6)
4. Justine Leong (NUW) def. Yashna Yellayi (ND-W) 6-0, 0-6, 6-3
5. Ema Lazic (NUW) def. Carrie Beckman (ND-W) 6-0, 6-0
6. Briana Crowley (NUW) def. Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Clarissa Hand/Maria Shusharina (NUW) def. Page Freeman/Julia Andreach (ND-W) 6-3
2. Sydney Pratt/Hannah McColgan (NUW) def. Carrie Beckman/Meghan Coleman (ND-W) 6-2
3. Briana Crowley/Christina Hand (NUW) vs. Nibedita Ghosh/Maria Olivia Castedo (ND-W) 5-3, unfinished
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (5,1,4,2,6,3)