DURHAM, N.C. - Northwestern men's tennis (2-3) gave No. 24 Harvard all it could handle on Friday night at Combe Tennis Center, but ultimately dropped the match, 5-2, to the Crimson. It was the start of an 0-2 weekend for the 'Cats as they fell to two Top-25 teams in non-conference play.
Harvard (4-3) opened action on Friday with a pair of doubles wins that earned the Crimson the first point of the match. They added on early in singles play, winning both the No. 1 and No. 3 courts in straight sets to take a 3-0 lead on the 'Cats.
On the other courts, however, Northwestern hung tough. After dropping a tight second set, 5-7, Felix Nordby rebounded with a dominant closing frame at No. 2 singles, putting up a 6-1 third set to defeat Harvard's Benjamin Privara. Chad Miller also came out on top of a back-and-forth match; he and opponent Mitchell Lee traded 6-4 victories in the first two sets before Miller put up a 6-2 third to capture his third individual victory of dual season.
Saiprakash Goli and Max Bengtsson put up strong fights at No. 3 and No. 5 singles respectively, but ultimately both fell in third sets to give Harvard a 5-2 team victory.
The 'Cats faced an even tougher challenge on Sunday on the road, taking on No. 7 Duke (7-0) in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils were strong all the way through, taking 6-2 victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles for the first point before winning in straight sets at No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 singles to close out a 4-0 victory.
Northwestern will continue its road trip next weekend, visiting Vanderbilt and Clemson in a weekend road swing. Play against the Commodores is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 7, at 3 p.m. CT, while Sunday's match at Clemson is set for a 10 a.m. CT first serve.
Harvard (4-3) opened action on Friday with a pair of doubles wins that earned the Crimson the first point of the match. They added on early in singles play, winning both the No. 1 and No. 3 courts in straight sets to take a 3-0 lead on the 'Cats.
On the other courts, however, Northwestern hung tough. After dropping a tight second set, 5-7, Felix Nordby rebounded with a dominant closing frame at No. 2 singles, putting up a 6-1 third set to defeat Harvard's Benjamin Privara. Chad Miller also came out on top of a back-and-forth match; he and opponent Mitchell Lee traded 6-4 victories in the first two sets before Miller put up a 6-2 third to capture his third individual victory of dual season.
Saiprakash Goli and Max Bengtsson put up strong fights at No. 3 and No. 5 singles respectively, but ultimately both fell in third sets to give Harvard a 5-2 team victory.
The 'Cats faced an even tougher challenge on Sunday on the road, taking on No. 7 Duke (7-0) in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils were strong all the way through, taking 6-2 victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles for the first point before winning in straight sets at No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 singles to close out a 4-0 victory.
Northwestern will continue its road trip next weekend, visiting Vanderbilt and Clemson in a weekend road swing. Play against the Commodores is scheduled to begin on Friday, February 7, at 3 p.m. CT, while Sunday's match at Clemson is set for a 10 a.m. CT first serve.