Men’s and women’s tennis recap: Northwestern shows potential and strength in solid showings at ITA Regionals
With both the men’s and women’s teams squarely in the thick of their respective fall seasons, the ITA Regionals represented an opportunity to show each of their individual and team growth as they each look to compete nationally.
Northwestern men’s and women’s tennis both participated in the ITA Midwest Regionals. While the men made a short trip into Chicago, the women’s team headed into enemy territory to Southern Illinois, playing its matches out in Champaign.
To kick off the weekend of matches, Northwestern men’s tennis had two of its members representing the squad in the qualifying singles round, as Ethan Schiffman and Dylan Charlap both looked to make it into the qualifying rounds. Both Schiffman and Charlap survived through round one, defeating a pair of Marquette foes. And while Schiffman would advance in an electrifying 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over August Pardo Cano (DePaul), Charlap fell to Youngstown State’s Dominik Vonbank in straight sets, ending his weekend early.
Into day two, both the singles and doubles Round of 64 were on display, with a plethora of Northwestern members out to play. Schiffman’s run would end against Illinois’ Sasha Colleau, as he lost in three sets. The same fate would be handed to Wildcats Chad Miller and Greyson Casey, who each fell in just two sets and were out with the snap of a finger. The only redeemer for the ‘Cats was Cyrus Mahjoob, who defeated Western Michigan’s Tim Riedel in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) to see another day. In the doubles, losses piled up for duo Schiffman and Charlap, who fell 8-6 to Western Michigan’s Chen-Hui Ho and Jonas Keck; better luck came to Miller and Casey, though, who won 8-4 over Illinois State’s Christian Capacci and Manuel Pavia. Playing later that day in the doubles Round of 32, the Miller-Casey combo’s run came to an end, as they too would fall to Western Michigan’s Drew Evans and Tim Riedel.
On day three, Mahjoob, a Georgia transfer, continued his dominance in a comeback 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Ohio State’s Alexander Bernard to advance to the Round of 16. But looking to keep the dream of a tournament championship alive, Mahjoob was at last ousted by Notre Dame’s Chase Thompson to end NU’s presence in the tournament, save for consolation matches.
On the women’s side, the qualifying match day was a largely successful one, with three of four Wildcats (Erica Jessel, Maia Loureiro and Marelie Raath) advancing to the Round of 64 with a pair of wins each. Into the second day, the same dominance largely continued for the ‘Cats, with Autumn Rabjohns, Margot Phanthala, Marelie Raath, Neena Feldman and Loureiro all advancing, and Jessel and Mika Dagan Fruchtman falling. And while all four pairs of Northwestern doubles partners won their Round of 64 matches, just the Dagan Fruchtman-Feldman and Loureiro-Raath teams moved to the Round of 16 the following day.
As the tournament continued on, the ‘Cats had a tougher time keeping up the dominant performance they had sported the previous two days. Among the two remaining doubles teams, Dagan Fruchtman and Feldman were able to advance in an 8-7 (8-6) thriller, but Loureiro and Raath would fall, 8-5. Loureiro would make up for that loss in the doubles match, however, by becoming the only Wildcat to advance into the Round of 16 of the singles tournament, while four other ‘Cats fell.
While Loureiro’s singles run would end soon after — she lost 6-0, 6-3 to Emily Sartz-Lunde (Michigan) the next day — the run for Dagan Fruchtman and Feldman wouldn’t be over just yet. The duo glided past Wisconsin’s Kaede Usui and Tianna Rangan 8-6 in the quarterfinals before a thrilling 6-2, 4-6, [10-8] victory over Illinois’ Alice Xu and Tess Bucher to secure a spot in the doubles final.
The two Wildcats eventually fell to Bianca Molnar and Bojana Pozder in a devastating 1-6, 6-3, [10-5] loss, but were nonetheless the highlight of the weekend for both the men’s and women’s teams.
While Northwestern men’s tennis will play next in the Big Ten Singles & Doubles Championships (Madison, Wisconsin beginning on Oct. 30), the women’s team will participate in the ITA Central Sectional in College Station, Texas beginning on Nov. 6.
