All good things must come to an end, and tonight will be no exception. With a multitude of winning streaks on the line, the match between the No. 37 Northwestern men’s tennis team and No. 3 Illinois will be a heartbreaker.
The question is, for whom?
Only one team will keep its perfect conference record intact after the 6 p.m. match at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign. Illinois boasts a 47-match conference winning streak, overshadowing NU’s 4-0 Big Ten season. On paper, the Fighting Illini are clearly the strong favorites, a fact not overlooked by NU head coach Paul Torricelli.
“Illinois is the team to beat,” he said. “They’ve set the bar very high for the conference, and competing against them will be a challenge.”
The Wildcats head down Interstate 57 to face their conference rival, knowing that fierce competition both on and off the court is a part of any NU sporting event against the Illini. Both teams are vying to keep the zero in their loss columns.
“It’s always crazy when we play Illinois,” junior doubles player Russell Bennett said. “With such an awesome atmosphere and everyone yelling, anything can happen.”
The Cats (11-4, 4-0 Big Ten) might have to pray for that “anything” as they take on the five-time defending Big Ten champions on their home court. Illinois (14-4, 4-0) reached the No. 1 ranking earlier this year, while NU’s best was No. 35.
Historically, Illinois has the upper hand on NU, having won the last seven meetings. The Cats have to flip their calendars all the way back to 1997 to find their last win in the series.
In the No. 1 singles spot, freshman Tommy Hanus is looking to continue his four-match winning streak. He is 20-5 in singles action and 7-1 in doubles this year. Furthermore, Hanus made his debut in the national rankings this week at No. 118.
“Tommy’s ranking is attributable to his performance,” Torricelli said. “No. 118 may not seem very high, but it’s a great accomplishment.”
In addition to Hanus, the Cats have a strong unit in the doubles team of senior Ryan Edlefsen and junior Josh Axler, who have won their last two matches in the No. 3 spot. Torricelli has yet to finalize his lineup for the match, but Hanus will start at No. 1.
If the Cats are excited about their lone ranked player, the Illini may be downright ecstatic about their four ranked sophomores. Amer Delic tops Illinois’ lineup at No. 12, Brian Wilson holds down No. 48, No. 73 belongs to Phil Stolt and Michael Calkins is currently No. 100.
The good news for the Cats is that Delic will not play in the match. Illinois’ highest-ranked player will be in Houston, competing against ATP players in the River Oaks International Tennis Tournament.
Despite Delic’s departure, NU still has to worry about the other ranked Illini and standout freshman Chris Martin, who has won his last six singles matches in the lower singles spots, usually the cornerstone matches for NU.
Both teams are fresh off victories. The Illini dominated Indiana on Sunday, winning 6-1. NU’s most recent victory came during its Spring Break trip to California, where the Cats dropped their first outdoor match of the season against San Diego 4-3 on March 26. NU rebounded, topping Fresno State 4-3 on March 28.
“We looked like an indoor team playing outdoors,” Torricelli said about the loss. “But the first outdoor match of the season is usually a transitional one.”
With the loss to lower-ranked San Diego still fresh in its mind, NU knows that underdogs are capable of winning.
“We just have to bring our ‘A’ games to the court,” Bennett said. “Illinois is not invincible.”
