Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
No. 59 Nebraska
Northwestern Rallies, Slips By Nebraska, 4-3
3/25/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 25, 2012
Site: Lincoln, Neb. (Nebraska Tennis Center)
Score: No. 53 Northwestern 4, No. 59 Nebraska 3
Records: NU (9-6, 2-1 Big Ten), Nebraska (7-8, 0-2 Big Ten)
Next NU Event: March 31 -- vs. Minnesota (Evanston, Ill.), Noon
LINCOLN, Neb. -- No. 53 Northwestern and No. 59 Nebraska played down to the wire on Sunday afternoon in Lincoln, but the Wildcats emerged victorious after Chris Jackman downed the Huskers' Tom Blackwell in the third set of the final match, giving NU a 4-3 win over their new Big Ten opponents.
Northwestern held most of the momentum throughout the contest after claiming the doubles point. Nebraska's Christopher Aumueller and Benedikt Lindeheim fought off Josh Graves and Spencer Wolf at No. 1 doubles, 8-4, before NU's No. 3, Sidarth Balaji and Tobias Reitz, handled the Huskers' Eric Stock and Stefan Gollner, 8-3. With No. 2 doubles serving as the deciding factor, Alex Pasareanu and Raleigh Smith, who found themselves in a deep 5-2 hole to start the match, rallied back in incredible fashion to take the set, 8-6, giving the Wildcats a leg up entering singles play.
At No. 1 singles, Graves fell to Nebraska's Lindheim in a lengthy three-set battle, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Spencer Wolf fell for the first time at No. 2 this season to Aumueller in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
Raleigh Smith found the win column for a team-best 12th time this season with a thorough victory over Andre Stenger in three sets, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. Nebraska earned their third win of the day on the No. 4 line as Stefan Gollner defeated Balaji in two, 6-2, 6-4.
Freshman Alex Pasareanu fended off Robert Schulze in two well-played sets himself, 6-2, 6-4. The win gives Pasareanu seven overall, including six at No. 5 singles. With things knotted at 3-3, things came down to the No. 6 spot in a gritty match between NU's Chris Jackman and Nebraska's Tom Blackwell. Blackwell took the first set with some ease, 6-3, but Jackman would force a third set after winning the second in grueling fashion, 7-6. The junior Wildcat thumped Blackwell in the third, though, taking the set -- and clinching the match for Northwestern -- with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 decision. Jackman earned his fourth dual win of the spring, his third at No. 6.
Northwestern returns to the courts Saturday when they play host to Minnesota at noon.
Doubles
1. Aumueller/Lindheim (NEB) def. Graves/Wolf (NU), 8-4
2. Pasareanu/Smith (NU) def. Stenger/Schulze (NEB), 8-6
3. Balaji/Reitz (NU) def. Sock/Gollner (NEB), 8-3
Singles
1. Benedikt Lindheim (NEB) def. Josh Graves (NW), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
2. Christopher Aumueller (NEB) def. Spencer Wolf (NU), 6-2, 6-4
3. Raleigh Smith (NU) def. Andre Stenger (NEB), 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
4. Stefan Gollner (NEB) def. Sidarth Balaji (NU), 6-2, 6-4
5. Alex Pasareanu (NU) def. Robert Schulze (NEB), 6-2, 6-4
6. Chris Jackman (NU) def. Tom Blackwell (NEB), 3-6, 7-6, 6-1
