Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open 2017 Season With 4-3 Win at Vanderbilt
1/15/2017 4:17:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Box Score | Season Stats
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Northwestern opened the 2017 season with a 4-3 win at Vanderbilt, the third straight victory by that score for the Wildcats over the Commodores.
Coming off a record-breaking 26-win season a year ago and returning three First-Team All-Big Ten selections, the Wildcats have every reason for big expectations this season. The team took its first step on Sunday.
"Great competitive effort from the team today," head coach Arvid Swan said. "Vanderbilt is such a good team and extremely well-coached. Our guys really fought hard throughout the match."
Freshman Dominik Starý had already proven his merit by sweeping his way to the Big Ten singles tournament championship in the fall, but he furthered it with his first career dual win, a 6-1, 6-3 sweep over Panu Virtanen at No. 4 to put the Wildcats up 2-0 after the team already took the doubles point earlier in the match.
26th-ranked Strong Kirchheimer then put the 'Cats a point away with a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 97 Daniel Valent at the No. 1 spot. Kirchheimer ranks eighth all-time at Northwestern with 89 career wins. He needs just three more to pass John Kamisar (1980-84) for seventh.
Vanderbilt got wins at Nos. 5, 2 and 3, in that order, to tie the match at up three, meaning it all came down to Ben Vandixhorn vs. Tate Allwardt at No. 6.
Vandixhorn, as he seemingly did so many times last year, came through with a clutch three-set win that put the Wildcats over the top. After dropping the first set, 6-3, Vandixhorn responded by winning the next two, including scoring the final three points of the third set after it was tied at three.
"Ben did a very good job of executing the game plan in critical situations," Swan said. "His effort level and positive approach throughout the match was impressive."
A year after winning 26 out of 31 doubles points, Northwestern continued its dominance in the early portion of a dual match, taking the first point of the day from Vanderbilt with wins at Nos. 1 and 3.
Zieba and Shropshire moved up to the No. 1 spot after posting a 19-4 record together at No. 2 last season. The duo won handily on Sunday at the top spot, 6-1. Vanderbilt pulled out a win at No. 2, but the newest addition to the Wildcats' lineup, the No. 3 duo of Michael Lorenzini and Chris Ephron, clinched the point with a 6-3 win.
Northwestern welcomes No. 7 TCU to the Combe Tennis Center on Friday at 6 p.m. in the team's 2017 home opener.
Results
Singles
No. 1 – #26 Strong Kirchheimer (NU) def. #97 Daniel Valent (VU), 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 – Cameron Klinger (VU) def. Konrad Zieba (NU), 6-7, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 – Baker Newman (VU) def. Sam Shropshire (NU), 6-7, 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 – Dominik Starý (NU) def. Panu Virtanen (VU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 5 – Billy Rowe (VU) def. Jason Seidman (NU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
No. 6 – Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Tate Allwardt (VU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6*
Doubles
No. 1 – Konrad Zieba / Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Cameron Klinger / Billy Rowe (VU), 6-1
No. 2 – Baker Newman / Panu Virtanen (VU) def. Strong Kirchheimer / Dominik Starý (NU), 6-3
No. 3 – Michael Lorenzini / Chris Ephron (NU) def. Pen Binet / Daniel Valent (VU), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Northwestern opened the 2017 season with a 4-3 win at Vanderbilt, the third straight victory by that score for the Wildcats over the Commodores.
Coming off a record-breaking 26-win season a year ago and returning three First-Team All-Big Ten selections, the Wildcats have every reason for big expectations this season. The team took its first step on Sunday.
"Great competitive effort from the team today," head coach Arvid Swan said. "Vanderbilt is such a good team and extremely well-coached. Our guys really fought hard throughout the match."
Freshman Dominik Starý had already proven his merit by sweeping his way to the Big Ten singles tournament championship in the fall, but he furthered it with his first career dual win, a 6-1, 6-3 sweep over Panu Virtanen at No. 4 to put the Wildcats up 2-0 after the team already took the doubles point earlier in the match.
26th-ranked Strong Kirchheimer then put the 'Cats a point away with a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 97 Daniel Valent at the No. 1 spot. Kirchheimer ranks eighth all-time at Northwestern with 89 career wins. He needs just three more to pass John Kamisar (1980-84) for seventh.
Vanderbilt got wins at Nos. 5, 2 and 3, in that order, to tie the match at up three, meaning it all came down to Ben Vandixhorn vs. Tate Allwardt at No. 6.
Vandixhorn, as he seemingly did so many times last year, came through with a clutch three-set win that put the Wildcats over the top. After dropping the first set, 6-3, Vandixhorn responded by winning the next two, including scoring the final three points of the third set after it was tied at three.
"Ben did a very good job of executing the game plan in critical situations," Swan said. "His effort level and positive approach throughout the match was impressive."
A year after winning 26 out of 31 doubles points, Northwestern continued its dominance in the early portion of a dual match, taking the first point of the day from Vanderbilt with wins at Nos. 1 and 3.
Zieba and Shropshire moved up to the No. 1 spot after posting a 19-4 record together at No. 2 last season. The duo won handily on Sunday at the top spot, 6-1. Vanderbilt pulled out a win at No. 2, but the newest addition to the Wildcats' lineup, the No. 3 duo of Michael Lorenzini and Chris Ephron, clinched the point with a 6-3 win.
Northwestern welcomes No. 7 TCU to the Combe Tennis Center on Friday at 6 p.m. in the team's 2017 home opener.
Results
Singles
No. 1 – #26 Strong Kirchheimer (NU) def. #97 Daniel Valent (VU), 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 – Cameron Klinger (VU) def. Konrad Zieba (NU), 6-7, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 – Baker Newman (VU) def. Sam Shropshire (NU), 6-7, 6-3, 7-5
No. 4 – Dominik Starý (NU) def. Panu Virtanen (VU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 5 – Billy Rowe (VU) def. Jason Seidman (NU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
No. 6 – Ben Vandixhorn (NU) def. Tate Allwardt (VU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6*
Doubles
No. 1 – Konrad Zieba / Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Cameron Klinger / Billy Rowe (VU), 6-1
No. 2 – Baker Newman / Panu Virtanen (VU) def. Strong Kirchheimer / Dominik Starý (NU), 6-3
No. 3 – Michael Lorenzini / Chris Ephron (NU) def. Pen Binet / Daniel Valent (VU), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
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