Wildcats Ground Eagles, 6-1, in Naples

3/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis

March 22, 2011

Complete Results

Site: Naples, Fla. (FGCU Tennis Complex)
Score: No. 66 Northwestern 6, Florida Gulf Coast 1
Records: NU (9-5, 0-0 Big Ten), Florida Gulf Coast (3-13, 1-6 Atlantic Sun)
Next NU Event: Friday, March 25 at Minnesota • Minneapolis, Minn. • 6:30 p.m. CT

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Despite having not played a dual match since March 6, No. 66 Northwestern showed no signs of rust in putting down Florida Gulf Coast, 6-1, in its final nonconference contest of the season Tuesday in Naples. The 'Cats easily swept doubles play and recorded four straight-set singles wins in the victory.

"We've had a strong few days of practice in Florida and we feel like we're ready to gear up for the Big Ten season," said head coach Arvid Swan after Tuesday's win. "It was good to get back to competition against Florida Gulf Coast and get back in a match routine before facing a tough Minnesota team Friday."

Northwestern wasted little time asserting itself against the Eagles in doubles, winning handily at all three positions. Junior Joshua Graves and sophomore Spencer Wolf -- who was playing not far from his home town of Coral Springs, Fla. -- defeated Carlo Checchia and Dean Tsamas, 8-3, at No. 1 to improve to 11-1 together this season.

A pair of native Floridians, Chris Jackman and Raleigh Smith, won by the same score over Steve Binninger and Frank Acierno at No. 3, while Andrew McCarthy and Tobias Reitz completed the sweep with an 8-4 defeat of Collin Brown and Matt Rock at No. 2.

Graves kept things going at No. 1 singles by winning swiftly over Rock, 6-0, 6-2, for his seventh singles victory of the season. Wolf, Smith and Jackman all followed suit with straight-set wins at No. 2, 5 and 6 singles, respectively, as the Wildcats clinched the dual match win.

NU's sixth point came courtesy of senior Andrew McCarthy, who halted a brief personal two-match losing streak by winning in a third-set super breaker over Checchia, 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (12-10). He improved to 9-4 in his senior campaign with the win.

Northwestern's initial Big Ten match of the season Friday at Minnesota is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.

No. 66 Northwestern 6, Florida Gulf Coast 1
Singles:
1: Joshua Graves (NU) def. Matt Rock (FGC), 6-0, 6-2
2: Spencer Wolf (NU) def. Steve Binninger (FGC), 6-3, 6-1
3: Andrew McCarthy (NU) def. Carlo Checchia (FGC), 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (12-10)
4: Dean Tsamas (FGC) def. Tobias Reitz (NU), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (12-10)
5: Raleigh Smith (NU) def. Mitchell Lvovsky (FGC), 6-4, 6-2
6: Chris Jackman (NU) def. Frank Acierno (FGC), 6-4, 6-4

Doubles:
1: Graves/Wolf (NU) def. Checchia/Tsamas (FGC), 8-3
2: McCarthy/Reitz (NU) def. Brown/Rock (FGC), 8-4
3: Jackman/Smith (NU) def. Binninger/Acierno (FGC), 8-3

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