Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Welcomes City Rival DePaul to Combe
2/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 20, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern is looking to bounce back Thursday night against DePaul at Combe Tennis Center, after dropping only its second dual last week against Indiana. The Wildcats (5-2) and the Blue Demons (1-9) are set to square off at 6 p.m.
Indiana dodged numerous match points from Josh Axler (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) that would have clinched the win for Northwestern. Instead, the Hoosiers left the Wildcats with a 4-3 loss, one that NU head coach Paul Torricelli would later call one of the toughest in recent memory.
Despite the loss, Tommy Hanus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) continued to shine at No. 1 singles, handing Jakub Praibis his first dual loss of the season. Hanus is 15-8 thus far, including 6-1 in dual play. His current five-match winning streak is the longest for an NU player this season.
DePaul started the season with a 5-2 win against Toledo, but has since lost its last nine. Talk about a tough draw, the Blue Demons only play two of their 19 duals at home-excluding the Conference USA Duals and the Conference USA Championships, which are both also away.
Northwestern is 125-92-2 against teams from the state of Illinois. The Wildcats met Northern Illinois on Jan. 19 and prevailed, 5-2. The 'Cats are undefeated against the Blue Demons at 13-0, including last year's 6-1 win.
