Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Ohio St.
Northwestern Falls to 24th-Ranked Ohio State, 6-1
4/13/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 13, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern made its home outdoor debut Sunday against No. 24 Ohio State, but NU could not muster its first win in the elements as the Buckeyes prevailed, 6-1. With the loss, NU fell to 10-9 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play.
The Wildcats made things interesting in doubles play. Down 6-3, senior Jackie Jenkins (College Park, Ga./Westlake) and freshman Adam Schaechterle (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine) rallied to win six straight games, upending Phil Metz and Vince Ng, 8-6. However, the Buckeyes took the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches to secure the first point.
Senior Josh Axler (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) tallied the 'Cats' only point of the day at No. 3 singles, defeating OSU's Conor Casey, 6-2, 6-1. Axler, who has won three consecutive Big Ten matches, is 15-15 on the season, including 4-4 in conference play.
NU, which finished 7-4 at home this season, is back in action April 18 at Michigan State and April 19 at Michigan.
"Our focus is really on winning the next two matches," said NU head coach Paul Torricelli. "It's important that we finish the season strong as we prepare for the Big Ten Championship."
NU will be back in Evanston for postseason play, as it hosts the 2003 Big Ten Championship from April 24-27.
No. 24 Ohio State 6, No. 51 Northwestern 1
Doubles
1. Conor Casey/Ross Wilson (OSU) def. Tommy Hanus/Chuck Perrin (NU), 8-5
2. Jeremy Wurtzman/Brenton Contini (OSU) def. Josh Axler/Russell Bennett (NU), 8-4
3. Jackie Jenkins/Adam Schaechterle (NU) def. Phil Metz/Vince Ng (OSU), 8-6
Singles
1. Wurtzman (OSU) def. Hanus (NU), 6-1, 6-2
2. Ng (OSU) def. Jenkins (NU), 6-4, 6-2
3. Axler (NU) def. Casey (OSU), 6-2, 6-1
4. Metz (OSU) def. Perrin (NU), 6-4, 6-3
5. Wilson (OSU) def. Schaechterle (NU), 6-1, 6-0
6. Dennis Mertens (OSU) def. Ahmed Wahla (NU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
