CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Northwestern suffered a 4-3 setback to Illinois in a match that lasted nearly four hours inside Atkins Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten) took an early 2-0 lead over the Fighting Illini (6-7, 2-1 Big Ten) by claiming a competitive doubles point and winning the No. 4 singles match, but fell short of securing their first win in Urbana-Champaign since 2018.
Sophomore Maia Loureiro and first-year Marelie Raath secured a 6-1 win at the No. 3 doubles slot to open play. After dropping the No. 2 match, Northwestern rallied to secure its fifth consecutive doubles point, as sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala's match at No. 1 decided the point. The two, the No. 87-ranked doubles pairing in the nation, defeated Alice Xu and Tess Bucher — the No. 86 doubles team in the country — 7-6 (7-3), while saving a match point.
Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman cruised to victory in singles action, earning a 6-3, 6-1 result at the No. 4 position. Dagan Fruchtman now has nine singles wins on the season, tied for the most on the team.
All five other singles matches were decided in three sets.
After Illinois secured a victory at the No. 1 spot to make it a 2-1 affair, Jessel registered a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback at No. 6 singles to move to an unblemished 5-0 record in singles on the season.
The Wildcats were unable to prevail in any of the remaining matches.
Northwestern plays its first Big Ten matches at home next weekend, when it hosts Indiana on Saturday, March 21, at noon CT and Purdue on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. CT.
The Wildcats (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten) took an early 2-0 lead over the Fighting Illini (6-7, 2-1 Big Ten) by claiming a competitive doubles point and winning the No. 4 singles match, but fell short of securing their first win in Urbana-Champaign since 2018.
Sophomore Maia Loureiro and first-year Marelie Raath secured a 6-1 win at the No. 3 doubles slot to open play. After dropping the No. 2 match, Northwestern rallied to secure its fifth consecutive doubles point, as sophomore Erica Jessel and first-year Margot Phanthala's match at No. 1 decided the point. The two, the No. 87-ranked doubles pairing in the nation, defeated Alice Xu and Tess Bucher — the No. 86 doubles team in the country — 7-6 (7-3), while saving a match point.
Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman cruised to victory in singles action, earning a 6-3, 6-1 result at the No. 4 position. Dagan Fruchtman now has nine singles wins on the season, tied for the most on the team.
All five other singles matches were decided in three sets.
After Illinois secured a victory at the No. 1 spot to make it a 2-1 affair, Jessel registered a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback at No. 6 singles to move to an unblemished 5-0 record in singles on the season.
The Wildcats were unable to prevail in any of the remaining matches.
Northwestern plays its first Big Ten matches at home next weekend, when it hosts Indiana on Saturday, March 21, at noon CT and Purdue on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. CT.