Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan
Northwestern Drops Nailbiter to Michigan, 4-3
3/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 29, 2009
Results
EVANSTON, Ill. -- With the fans hanging on every point in a highly-charged environment at Combe Tennis Center, Northwestern's dual against Michigan came down to the very last match, a contest at No. 1 between Marc Dwyer (Peachtree City, Ga./University of Nebraska - Independent Study H.S.) and Jason Jung. Michigan (7-12, 1-3) escaped with the narrow 4-3 victory as Jung ground out a three-setter that lasted over two hours.
With the loss, Northwestern (13-6, 1-3) finishes the weekend with a split after beating Michigan State Saturday afternoon in its opening home conference match.
No. 1 singles between Dwyer and Jung, a heartbreaker that ended 6-4 in the third, was no less exciting in the first two sets. The Wildcat senior took the first set easily, 6-2, behind strong groundstrokes and rallies that kept Jung on the ropes. In the second, the Michigan sophomore rebounded by breaking in the fifth game and holding on for the frame.
The `Cats had jumped out to a 3-1 lead, but the Wolverines grabbed wins at No. 2 and No. 4 to tie it up midway through the third set of the match between Dwyer and Jung. Up an early break thanks to a backhand passing shot, Dwyer was broken while serving up 4-2 and Jung then held to even it at 4-all. The Wildcat senior saved two break points behind an ace and a chip-and-charge play, but was broken on a crosscourt forehand to fall behind, 4-5.
With all eyes on Court 3, Dwyer gave it his all in an effort to take the break back and keep the match alive. Jung jumped to an early 30-0 lead, but Dwyer fought back to 30-all and even got a break point. Two forehands that just caught the net cord proved to be the Wildcat's downfall as Jung pulled out the match and the dual for the Wolverines.
To start the match, Michigan jumped out to an early lead thanks to wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Andrew Mazlin and Chris Madden defeated NU's Tobias Reitz (Reinbeck, Germany/Sachsenwaldschule Reinbeck) and Joshua Graves (Milwaukee, Wis./Nicolet), 8-2, for their seventh consecutive win at No. 2. The Wolverines took hold of the momentum by opening with a break in a lengthy first game and the `Cats were never able to claw their way back.
Alexander Thams (Stockholm, Sweden/Enskilda Gymnasiet) and Andrew McCarthy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hills) fell in a tight 8-6 decision to Michigan's Mike Sroczynski and Peter Aarts. The match was dead even at 5-all until Michigan managed to secure a break and consolidate it with a hold.
The Wolverines contested the `Cats' next service game heavily, but McCarthy managed to save a match point with an ace and keep NU's hopes alive. In the next game, Sroczynski and Aarts barely held on to win the match and doubles point.
No. 1 doubles between the Northwestern pair of Dwyer and Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) and Michigan's 26th-ranked Jason Jung and George Navas was a treat that lasted over 70 minutes.
The Wildcats emerged from the locker room with a vengeance, taking the first sets in five out of six matches. Northwestern got on the board behind a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 by Thams over Wolverine Sroczynski.
In the first set, the Wildcat secured a break to go up 5-3 and then served out the set. The second set began with a heated exchange between Sroczynski and the chair umpire, but Thams was unperturbed and went up two breaks. The Wolverine managed to take one break back, but Thams held on for the win.
NU took the lead with a Sanborn victory at No. 5 over Michigan's Drew Daniel. In a match filled with long rallies, the two players traded breaks in the first set before sending it into a tiebreak. The breaker was tight with both players covering the court well but Sanborn pulled it out, 8-6, as Daniel dumped set point into the net. The Wildcat junior took the second set easily, 6-2.
Eric Spector (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) gave Northwestern a 3-1 lead with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win at No. 6 singles over Peter Aarts. The Wildcat freshman took an early 4-0 lead in the first and never relinquished it. In the second, Spector saved multiple set points en route to forcing the tiebreak in which he would come out victorious.
Michigan quickly tied it up at 3-all with successive victories at No. 2 and No. 4 that finished within minutes of each other.
At No. 2, freshman Reitz dropped a three-setter to Andrew Mazlin after winning the first set, 6-3, behind several strong service games. Mazlin took the momentum in the second set, winning it 6-2. After forcing the third set, the Wolverine broke in the second game with a running backhand down the line and Reitz was never able to break back, dropping the match 6-3 in the final frame.
NU's Josh Graves dropped a close two-setter to Chris Madden, 7-5, 6-4, at No. 4 singles. The freshman southpaw staved off several set points in the first set, making Madden earn the 7-5 win. In the second, Graves fought from a break down but was unable to hold on and Madden pulled it out to tie up the dual at 3-all.
The Wildcats continue conference play this weekend, travelling to Purdue Friday afternoon before returning home to host Wisconsin Saturday at 3 p.m. at Combe Tennis Center.
Michigan 4, Northwestern 3
Doubles:
1. Marc Dwyer/Alex Sanborn (NU) def. #26 Jason Jung/George Navas (MICH) 8-4
2. Chris Madden/Andrew Mazlin (MICH) def. Tobias Reitz/Joshua Graves (NU) 8-2
3. Peter Aarts/Mike Sroczynski (MICH) def. Andrew McCarthy/Alexander Thams (NU) 8-6
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles:
1. Jason Jung (MICH) def. #89 Marc Dwyer (NU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Andrew Mazlin (MICH) def. Tobias Reitz (NU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
3. Alexander Thams (NU) def. Mike Sroczynski (MICH) 6-3, 6-4
4. Chris Madden (MICH) def. Joshua Graves (NU) 7-5, 6-4
5. Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Drew Daniel (MICH) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
6. Eric Spector (NU) def. Peter Aarts (MICH) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Order of finish: 3, 5, 6, 2, 4, 1
