Oct. 4, 2009

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Freshmen Sidarth Balaji (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) and Chris Jackman (Key Biscayne, Fla./Gulliver Prep) won the Flight B and Flight C singles championships, respectively, to cap off Northwestern's run at the 2009 Wildcat Invitational. After two rain-drenched days that forced play inside, the weather finally cooperated Sunday at Vandy Christie Tennis Center as Purdue's P.J. Rose claimed the Flight A singles title.

In the Flight B final, Balaji defeated James McKie of Drake in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to claim the title. Jackman won the Flight C final, also in straight sets, with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Wisconsin's Varun Chari. Balaji has a six-match win streak thanks to this weekend's wins and his play at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic.

Eric Spector (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) and Andrew McCarthy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) also continued their winning ways in Flight A consolation. Spector defeated Iowa's Reinoud Haal 6-1, 6-3 while McCarthy defeated Ball State's Edwardo Pavia 4-6, 6-4, 10-7.

Freshman Mark Schanerman (North Miami Beach, Fla./Dr. Michael M. Krop HS) dropped to 2-2 in his first tournament of the fall with a 6-4, 1-6, 10-7 loss to Western Michigan's Simon Blomberg in the Flight B consolation final.

Because of the rain delays Friday and Saturday, the doubles draw was not completed. The decision was made to play one round Sunday morning and then move on to singles play.

Spector and McCarthy defeated Marquette's Jacob Straus and Jonathan Schwerin, 8-5, to finish with a 2-0 record on the weekend in Flight A doubles. Balaji and Jackman fell to Iowa's Austen Kauss and Garret Dunn, 8-5, in the consolation.

The Wildcats are back in action in two weeks at the ITA Midwest Regionals hosted by the University of Michigan, Oct. 15-19.