Sunday, February 6
Evanston, Ill.
12 p.m. CT
Northwestern
4
vs
3
Duke
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler / NUSports.com
Northwestern Expels Blue Devils, 4-3, in a Combe Classic
2/6/2022 8:10:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern outlasted Duke in an instant classic on Sunday – a 4-3 victory for one of its statement wins of the early season. The 'Cats closed out the day at Combe Tennis Center with a 4-0 win over UIC.
Northwestern improved to 8-2 after the two wins and have now won four in a row including a perfect three-game homestand on the weekend. The 'Cats dropped Duke to 3-2 and UIC to 1-5. The Blue Devils were receiving votes in the latest ITA Top 25 poll and are a perennial NCAA Tournament team out of the ACC.
The Wildcats and the Blue Devils went the distance, with the the clinching point in singles coming down to a third set tiebreak and the the doubles point featuring a tiebreak as well.
Trice Pickens and Natan Spear won first in doubles, 6-4, and after Duke claimed No. 1, Simen Bratholm and Brian Berdsuco set the tone for the afternoon with a 7-6 (5) tiebreak win for a 1-0 overall lead.
Duke responded at No. 4 singles to make it 1-1, but Pickens continued his scorching start to the season with a 6-4, 6-1 win over the No. 38. Faris Khan at No. 3 singles.
Graduate Brian Berdusco made his singles dual debut this season at No. 6, and earned a 7-6 (1), 6-1 win over Niroop Vallabhaneni to make it 3-1.
The Blue Devils rallied back in the first of three matches to go a full three sets at No. 5 singles. Andrew Dale defeated Felix Nordby, and then Duke forced the issue at 3-3 as Andrew Zhang defeated Bratholm in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback, a compelling rematch to the duo's clash in 2020.
With the match at three apiece, Steven Forman battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to force a tiebreak, which he ultimately won, 7-4. The scintillating 6-7 (0), 6-1, 7-6 (4) comeback over No. 76 Garrett Johns handed the Wildcats the overall win at 4-3.
The 'Cats claimed their revenge nearly two years later for a 4-0 loss in Durham in Feb. of 2020.
Northwestern handled affairs in the evening match against UIC with a doubles point coming from Forman and Nordby at No. 1 and Bratholm and Br. Berdusco at No. 2.
Br. Berdusco locked in his second win of the day with an impressive double bagel at No. 6. Pickens and Forman kept their winning ways going at the top of the lineup, and Forman impressively was on of the first three to claim a result after his three-set marathon earlier in the day.
The Wildcat will put their four game win-streak to the test at Oregon on Friday and at Notre Dame on Sunday.
2/6/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern Wildcats 4, Duke 3
Singles competition
1. Steven Forman (NU) def. #76 Garrett Johns (DU) 6-7 (0-7), 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Andrew Zhang (DU) def. #104 Simen Bratholm (NU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. #92 Trice Pickens (NU) def. #38 Faris Khan (DU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Connor Krug (DU) def. Presley Thieneman (NU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Andrew Dale (DU) def. Felix Nordby (NU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. Niroop Vallabhaneni (DU) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #37 Sean Sculley/Garrett Johns (DU) def. Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) 7-5
2. Simen Bratholm/Brian Berdusco (NU) def. #39 Andrew Zhang/Michael Heller (DU) 6-4
3. Trice Pickens/Natan Spear (NU) def. Niroop Vallabhaneni/Faris Khan (DU) 7-6 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,3,6,5,2,1)
2/6/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern Wildcats 4, UIC 0
Singles competition
1. Steven Forman (NU) def. STRANDBERG, Pelle (UIC) 6-1, 6-4
2. Trice Pickens (NU) def. SCHWEBEL, Gustavo (UIC) 6-2, 6-1
3. Presley Thieneman (NU) vs. TACCONI, Francesco (UIC) 6-3, 4-1, unfinished
4. Felix Nordby (NU) vs. WAZIR, Ammar (UIC) 6-2, 4-0, unfinished
5. Gleb Blekher (NU) vs. NGUYEN, Anthony (UIC) 6-2, 4-1, unfinished
6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. DOS SANTOS, Luiz (UIC) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) def. STRANDBERG, Pelle/TACCONI, Francesco (UIC) 6-0
2. Simen Bratholm/Brian Berdusco (NU) def. KRUZEL, Kevin/WAZIR, Ammar (UIC) 6-1
3. Natan Spear/Trice Pickens (NU) vs. BANK, Daan/IERMOLOV, Artem (UIC) 5-2, unfinished
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,6,2)
Steven Forman completes a stunning comeback after trailing 5-2 in the final set, coming up clutch in a tiebreak to seal a 4-3 victory for @NUMensTennis over Duke. pic.twitter.com/kJSYpukwRD
— Nathan Ansell (@nathanjansell) February 6, 2022
Northwestern improved to 8-2 after the two wins and have now won four in a row including a perfect three-game homestand on the weekend. The 'Cats dropped Duke to 3-2 and UIC to 1-5. The Blue Devils were receiving votes in the latest ITA Top 25 poll and are a perennial NCAA Tournament team out of the ACC.
The Wildcats and the Blue Devils went the distance, with the the clinching point in singles coming down to a third set tiebreak and the the doubles point featuring a tiebreak as well.
Trice Pickens and Natan Spear won first in doubles, 6-4, and after Duke claimed No. 1, Simen Bratholm and Brian Berdsuco set the tone for the afternoon with a 7-6 (5) tiebreak win for a 1-0 overall lead.
Duke responded at No. 4 singles to make it 1-1, but Pickens continued his scorching start to the season with a 6-4, 6-1 win over the No. 38. Faris Khan at No. 3 singles.
Graduate Brian Berdusco made his singles dual debut this season at No. 6, and earned a 7-6 (1), 6-1 win over Niroop Vallabhaneni to make it 3-1.
The Blue Devils rallied back in the first of three matches to go a full three sets at No. 5 singles. Andrew Dale defeated Felix Nordby, and then Duke forced the issue at 3-3 as Andrew Zhang defeated Bratholm in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback, a compelling rematch to the duo's clash in 2020.
With the match at three apiece, Steven Forman battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third set to force a tiebreak, which he ultimately won, 7-4. The scintillating 6-7 (0), 6-1, 7-6 (4) comeback over No. 76 Garrett Johns handed the Wildcats the overall win at 4-3.
The 'Cats claimed their revenge nearly two years later for a 4-0 loss in Durham in Feb. of 2020.
Northwestern handled affairs in the evening match against UIC with a doubles point coming from Forman and Nordby at No. 1 and Bratholm and Br. Berdusco at No. 2.
Br. Berdusco locked in his second win of the day with an impressive double bagel at No. 6. Pickens and Forman kept their winning ways going at the top of the lineup, and Forman impressively was on of the first three to claim a result after his three-set marathon earlier in the day.
The Wildcat will put their four game win-streak to the test at Oregon on Friday and at Notre Dame on Sunday.
2/6/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern Wildcats 4, Duke 3
Singles competition
1. Steven Forman (NU) def. #76 Garrett Johns (DU) 6-7 (0-7), 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Andrew Zhang (DU) def. #104 Simen Bratholm (NU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. #92 Trice Pickens (NU) def. #38 Faris Khan (DU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Connor Krug (DU) def. Presley Thieneman (NU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Andrew Dale (DU) def. Felix Nordby (NU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. Niroop Vallabhaneni (DU) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #37 Sean Sculley/Garrett Johns (DU) def. Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) 7-5
2. Simen Bratholm/Brian Berdusco (NU) def. #39 Andrew Zhang/Michael Heller (DU) 6-4
3. Trice Pickens/Natan Spear (NU) def. Niroop Vallabhaneni/Faris Khan (DU) 7-6 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,3,6,5,2,1)
2/6/2022 at Evanston, IL
(Combe Tennis Center)
Northwestern Wildcats 4, UIC 0
Singles competition
1. Steven Forman (NU) def. STRANDBERG, Pelle (UIC) 6-1, 6-4
2. Trice Pickens (NU) def. SCHWEBEL, Gustavo (UIC) 6-2, 6-1
3. Presley Thieneman (NU) vs. TACCONI, Francesco (UIC) 6-3, 4-1, unfinished
4. Felix Nordby (NU) vs. WAZIR, Ammar (UIC) 6-2, 4-0, unfinished
5. Gleb Blekher (NU) vs. NGUYEN, Anthony (UIC) 6-2, 4-1, unfinished
6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. DOS SANTOS, Luiz (UIC) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) def. STRANDBERG, Pelle/TACCONI, Francesco (UIC) 6-0
2. Simen Bratholm/Brian Berdusco (NU) def. KRUZEL, Kevin/WAZIR, Ammar (UIC) 6-1
3. Natan Spear/Trice Pickens (NU) vs. BANK, Daan/IERMOLOV, Artem (UIC) 5-2, unfinished
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,6,2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
Garrett Johns / 0 (76/-) [DU]
726
667
#2 Singles Match
123
Andrew Zhang / 0 [DU]
366
644
#3 Singles Match
12
Faris Khan / 0 (38/-) [DU]
41
66
#4 Singles Match
12
Connor Krug / 0 [DU]
66
34
#5 Singles Match
123
Andrew Dale / 0 [DU]
646
362
#6 Singles Match
12
Niroop Vallabhaneni / 0 [DU]
61
76
Order of Finish:
4,3,6,5,2,1
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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