Box Score (PDF)

EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 21 Northwestern was dominant in its first match at home against a top-50 opponent, downing No. 35 Notre Dame, 6-1, in front of a big crowd at the Combe Tennis Center Friday night.
 
Northwestern improves to 4-1 in 2016 with the win. The Wildcats already have three victories over top-50 teams.
 
The win was the Wildcats' first over the Irish since 2013 and just the second since 2003.
 
Chicago's Big Ten Team swept its way to the clinching point with three straight-set wins in singles. No. 50 Sam Shropshire got things started in singles with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 2. He was quickly followed by freshman Ben Vandixhorn at No. 6 and No. 55 Strong Kirchheimer at No. 3. Vandixhorn and Kirchheimer both improved to 3-0 on the young season.
 
Konrad Zieba provided a highlight at No. 1 in the only match between ranked opponents. The 16th-ranked Wildcat beat No. 37 Quentin Monaghan, 6-2, 7-5 to put Northwestern up 5-0. Zieba is now 8-2 against ranked opponents.
 
Alp Horoz rounded out the Wildcats scoring with a 10-7 third-set tiebreak at No. 5 over Josh Hagar. The two split the first two sets and, by rule, had to play a 10-point tiebreak to decide the match, where Horoz came out on top.
 
The Wildcats picked up a quick doubles point to start the evening, outscoring the Irish 12-3 in completed matches. Shropshire and Zieba paired up for a 6-2 win at No. 2, while Horoz and Mihir Kumar eased past Grayson Broadus and Eric Schnurrenberger at No. 3 by a 6-1 margin.
 
Baev and Kirchheimer, the nation's 52nd-ranked tandem, played No. 6 Monaghan and Alex Lawson to a 4-4 tie when the match at No. 1 went unfinished.
 
Northwestern now heads to Durham, N.C. for a match against No. 24 Duke on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT.
 
#21 Northwestern 6, #35 Notre Dame 1
 
Singles
No. 1 – #16 Konrad Zieba (NU) def. #37 Quentin Monaghan (ND), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 – #50 Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Eddy Covalschi (ND), 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 – #55 Strong Kirchheimer (NU) def. Alex Lawson (ND), 6-3, 6-4*
No. 4 – Eric Schnurrenberger (ND) def. Fedor Baev (NU), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
No. 5 – Alp Horoz (NU) def. Josh Hagar (ND), 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
No. 6 – Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Grayson Broadus (ND), 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 3*, 1, 5, 4
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #52 Baev/Kirchheimer (NU) vs. #6 Lawson/Monaghan (ND), 4-4 (unfinished)
No. 2 – Zieba/Shropshire (NU) def. Covalschi/Hagar (ND), 6-2*
No. 3 – Kumar/Horoz (NU) def. Broadus/Schnurrenberger (ND), 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 2*
 

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