Northwestern
Illinois
Wildcats Dominate In-State Foe Illinois, 6-1
3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
EVANSTON, Ill. -The Northwestern women's tennis program dominated in-state foe Illinois at the Combe Tennis Center Friday night, claiming five of six singles matches and securing the doubles point en route to a 6-1 victory.
Playing together for the first time, freshman Alex Chatt and junior Alicia Barnett earned the first win of the night in No. 2 doubles over Jerricka Boone and Madie Baillon, 8-5. Freshman Rheeya Doshi and senior Lok Sze Leung picked up their third win of the season together in the No. 3 doubles match, 8-3, to secure the doubles point for the Wildcats.
The No. 1 doubles team of freshman Erin Larner and sophomore Brooke Rischbieth led the 68th-ranked doubles squad of Milessa Kopinski and Louise Kwong, 6-5, but the match was not finished as the doubles point was already secured.
Leung and Doshi continued their stellar play in singles to quickly move the Wildcats' lead over the Fighting Illini to 3-0. Leung defeated Grace Tapak in the No. 4 singles match, 6-0, 6-1, to improve to 18-9 on the season.
Doshi won her second-straight match and the first Big Ten match of her career with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Madie Baillon at No. 5 singles.
Rischbieth clinched the match for the Wildcats with a win in the No. 6 singles match over Jade Hilton, 7-5, 6-1.
With the win already secured, each of the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches played a match tiebreak third set. Larner won her tiebreaker, 10-8, to earn her 20th win of the season, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 1-0 and Chatt rallied from down a set to win her tiebreaker, 10-7, for her 19th win of the year, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0.
The Wildcats are back in action on Tuesday when they begin a three-match road trip at South Florida. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Results
Doubles:
1. Erin Larner / Brooke Rischbieth (NU) led Melissa Kopinski / Louise Kwong (ILL), 6-5, UF
2. Alex Chatt / Alicia Barnett (NU) def. Jerrick Boone / Madie Baillon (ILL), 8-5
3. Rheeya Doshi / Lok Sze Leung (NU) def. Alexis Casati / Grace Tapak (ILL), 8-3
Order of finish: 2, 3*
Singles:
1. Alexis Casati (ILL) def. Alicia Barnett (NU), 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 (10-2)
2. Erin Larner (NU) def. Melissa Kopinski (ILL), 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 1-0 (10-8)
3. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Louise Kwong (ILL), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-7)
4. Lok Sze Leung (NU) def. Grace Tapak (ILL), 6-0, 6-1
5. Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Madie Baillon (ILL), 7-5, 6-2
6. Brooke Rischbieth (NU) def. Jade Hilton (ILL), 7-5, 6-1
Order of finish: 4, 5, 6*, 1, 2, 3
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