Minnesota (18-4, 7-1, Big Ten) handed the Northwestern men’s tennis team a blow to its NCAA tournament hopes with a 5-2 victory Saturday.

Sophomore Joost Hol won both his singles and doubles match, helping NU (8-10, 2-6) earn its two team points. At No. 2 singles, Hol battled back to win a three-set match with Thomas Haug, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6.

Hol and Brad Erickson teamed up for an 8-5 victory over Haug and Martin Michalowski at No. 1 doubles. The NU doubles pair of Russell Bennett and Jackie Jenkins beat Minnesota’s Eric Robertson and Steve Solberg 8-6 in No. 3 doubles. The two wins gave the Cats the doubles point.

“It was hard,” Erickson said. “We came out so well at doubles. We all came to play, Minnesota was just better than us.”

Erickson lost at No. 1 singles to Minnesota’s Harsh Mankad, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. At No. 3 singles, Jenkins also lost in three to the Gophers’ Jorge Duenas. The bottom of NU’s lineup, Josh Axler, Jamie Sahara and Bennett, all went down in straight sets.

NU visits Wisconsin Saturday and Iowa Sunday. Both matches are critical for the Cats to impress the NCAA tournament selection committee before the team goes to the Big Ten tournament April 27-30.