Rankings often come into play when comparing two powerhouse academic schools such as Stanford and Northwestern.

But when the two square off in men’s tennis at noon Saturday, only one poll will matter — the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s.

The No. 1 Cardinal (22-1) will host the No. 54 Wildcats (11-11) in the first round of the NCAA tournament. And NU knows that it’s in for a tough test taking on the Pac-10 champions in Palo Alto, Calif.

“We’re going to have to play the match of the year to win,” NU coach Paul Torricelli said. “We know it and there is no shame in us saying that.”

Beyond Stanford’s No. 1 ranking, the team also boasts the No. 1 doubles team in the nation, Geoff Abrams and Alex Kim. Abrams, who won the Pac-10 singles title over his doubles partner, is a solid serve and volleyer who can get to the net with ease. Kim is an all-court player with tremendous speed.

The Cats’ top tandem of junior Brad Erickson and sophomore Joost Hol (21-7) will have the task of opening up against the Cardinal duo in the tournament. Hol says he is up for the challenge.

“If Brad and I play our very best, which would require us serving well and us returning well and staying focused throughout the match, we should be able to stay with them,” Hol said.

“Who knows? Maybe they’re going to think we’re a joke or they’re not going to be quite concentrating or they’ll be flat-footed,” he said.

But faulting has been a rare occurrence for the Stanford pair, who have a doubles record this year of 32-6.

Hol lived 10 minutes away from Abrams in Southern California and grew up playing tennis against him in juniors. Although Hol hasn’t faced Abrams in four years, he still knows the talent he will be up against.

“They are very experienced, tournament proven,” Hol said. “They do everything well. When you see them play, it makes the game look easy. When you play against them you’re like, ‘Are they ever going to make a mistake?'”

The talent doesn’t stop at No. 1 for the Cardinal, which could have the deepest team in the country. Stanford has the top three singles players in its region, and the No. 3 singles player, K.J. Hippensteel, won the NCAA doubles title last year.

Torricelli has told his team all week to expect large crowds and the frenzy that goes along with the tournament. The doubles matches will be played in a large three-court stadium that Torricelli said often makes players nervous. But he has warned his team not to get too uptight or scared.

“The outcome is not necessarily within our control,” Torricelli said. “But how you handle yourself, how you play in that environment, is something we do have control over.”

Torricelli said it is vital for his team to relax before the match.

“I want them to slow things down,” he said. “They need to take their time and don’t let the match get ahead of them.

“We’ve seen these guys before. They’re not supermen. They are just very good. You can talk yourself right out of a match.”

Last season, Stanford defeated the Cats 6-1 in Palo Alto.

And even though a victory might be hard to come by Saturday, continued team improvement and valued NCAA experience should provide an automatic victory for the young team, Torricelli said.

However, more experienced players like Hol realize the finality of the contest.

“It’s another weekend match,” Hol said. “But then again, if we loose it will be our last match.”