Wednesday, April 4
West Lafayette, IN
3 p.m.
Northwestern
4
at
3
Purdue
Fasano's Late Heroics Lift Northwestern Over Purdue
4/5/2018 3:22:00 AM | Men's Tennis
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Northwestern finished off a thrilling win over Purdue Wednesday evening when Antonioni Fasano won his third-set tiebreak nearly four hours after the match's opening serve. The contest was a back-and-forth affair throughout, as both teams held the outright lead at least once and the score was tied on multiple occasions.
The first point went to the Boilermakers in doubles competition. The hosts were victorious at No. 3 before NU's duo of Dominik Stary and Ben Vandixhorn took down their opponents at No. 1 to set up the decider at No. 2. Maksymilian Raupuk and Dominik Sochureck sealed the point and a 1-0 lead for Purdue with a 7-6 (7-2) win.
In singles play, Chicago's Big Ten Team quickly flipped the script with a pair of wins. First year Nick Brookes won convincingly at No. 2 singles before Chris Ephron also dominated at No. 6, and the 'Cats lead 2-1 in the match.
Facing off against the 92nd-ranked Gergely Madarasz, Stary looked set for a challenge at No. 1. He put on an impressive performance, taking down the only nationally-ranked player for either squad in straight sets. The victory meant Northwestern was just one point away from taking the match with three singles courts still in action.
Purdue, however, refused to buckle under the visitors' momentum, rattling off wins at No. 3 and No. 5, both in three sets. Knotted at three team points apiece, the match came down to the final singles matchup, a battle at No. 4 between NU's Fasano and Javier Rodriguez of Purdue.
The first set was taken by Rodriguez, who also started well in the following frame and had Fasano—and Northwestern—just one game away from defeat with a 5-4 lead in the second. Fasano, however, simply would not be denied. The rookie came back to force a tiebreaker, which he then promptly won to bring on a winner-take-all third set.
Even as the third progressed, nothing could separate Fasano and Rodriguez, as they once again played to a 6-6 scoreline and needed a tiebreaker to decide the match. After getting down early, Fasano was able to fight his way back yet again and complete the ultimate comeback, winning 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) and tallying the crucial fourth team point for the Wildcats.
The clutch play from Fasano gave the 'Cats a win in a match that lasted three hours and 45 minutes. NU improves to 8-11 with a 3-2 Big Ten mark, while Purdue drops to 8-12 and 0-5 in the conference.
Next up for Northwestern is a home match against Michigan State on Friday, April 6. The action is set to start at 6 p.m. CT at Combe Tennis Center.
Northwestern 4, Purdue 3
Doubles
1. Dominik Stary/Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Athell Bennett/Mateo Julio (PUR) 6-4
2. Maksymilian Raupuk/Dominik Sochureck (PUR) def. Nick Brookes/Jason Seidman (NU) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Renan Hanayama/Gergely Madarasz (PUR) def. Chris Ephron/Antonioni Fasano (NU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*
Singles
1. Dominik Stary (NU) def. #92 Gergely Madarasz (PUR) 7-5, 6-3
2. Nick Brookes (NU) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (PUR) 6-3, 6-3
3. Mateo Julio (PUR) def. Ben Vandixhorn (NU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
4. Antonioni Fasano (NU) def. Javier Rodriguez (PUR) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)
5. Athell Bennett (PUR) def. Jason Seidman (NU) 6-1, 1-6, 6-2
6. Chris Ephron (NU) def. Renan Hanayama (PUR) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4*
••••••
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The first point went to the Boilermakers in doubles competition. The hosts were victorious at No. 3 before NU's duo of Dominik Stary and Ben Vandixhorn took down their opponents at No. 1 to set up the decider at No. 2. Maksymilian Raupuk and Dominik Sochureck sealed the point and a 1-0 lead for Purdue with a 7-6 (7-2) win.
In singles play, Chicago's Big Ten Team quickly flipped the script with a pair of wins. First year Nick Brookes won convincingly at No. 2 singles before Chris Ephron also dominated at No. 6, and the 'Cats lead 2-1 in the match.
Facing off against the 92nd-ranked Gergely Madarasz, Stary looked set for a challenge at No. 1. He put on an impressive performance, taking down the only nationally-ranked player for either squad in straight sets. The victory meant Northwestern was just one point away from taking the match with three singles courts still in action.
Purdue, however, refused to buckle under the visitors' momentum, rattling off wins at No. 3 and No. 5, both in three sets. Knotted at three team points apiece, the match came down to the final singles matchup, a battle at No. 4 between NU's Fasano and Javier Rodriguez of Purdue.
The first set was taken by Rodriguez, who also started well in the following frame and had Fasano—and Northwestern—just one game away from defeat with a 5-4 lead in the second. Fasano, however, simply would not be denied. The rookie came back to force a tiebreaker, which he then promptly won to bring on a winner-take-all third set.
Even as the third progressed, nothing could separate Fasano and Rodriguez, as they once again played to a 6-6 scoreline and needed a tiebreaker to decide the match. After getting down early, Fasano was able to fight his way back yet again and complete the ultimate comeback, winning 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) and tallying the crucial fourth team point for the Wildcats.
The clutch play from Fasano gave the 'Cats a win in a match that lasted three hours and 45 minutes. NU improves to 8-11 with a 3-2 Big Ten mark, while Purdue drops to 8-12 and 0-5 in the conference.
Next up for Northwestern is a home match against Michigan State on Friday, April 6. The action is set to start at 6 p.m. CT at Combe Tennis Center.
Northwestern 4, Purdue 3
Doubles
1. Dominik Stary/Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Athell Bennett/Mateo Julio (PUR) 6-4
2. Maksymilian Raupuk/Dominik Sochureck (PUR) def. Nick Brookes/Jason Seidman (NU) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Renan Hanayama/Gergely Madarasz (PUR) def. Chris Ephron/Antonioni Fasano (NU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*
Singles
1. Dominik Stary (NU) def. #92 Gergely Madarasz (PUR) 7-5, 6-3
2. Nick Brookes (NU) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (PUR) 6-3, 6-3
3. Mateo Julio (PUR) def. Ben Vandixhorn (NU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
4. Antonioni Fasano (NU) def. Javier Rodriguez (PUR) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)
5. Athell Bennett (PUR) def. Jason Seidman (NU) 6-1, 1-6, 6-2
6. Chris Ephron (NU) def. Renan Hanayama (PUR) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 1, 3, 5, 4*
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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