By Jake SimpsonThe Daily Northwestern
In its first true test of the season, Northwestern dominated the tenth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, winning Sunday’s dual match at the Combe Tennis Center 6-1 behind superb play from underclassmen and seniors alike.
The Wildcats, who came into the dual ranked ninth in the country, improved to 2-0 on the season and avenged last year’s loss to Duke in Durham, N.C.
“The win was sweet for everyone,” said coach Claire Pollard. “It was important for the younger kids to beat a good team, and for the upperclassmen it was a good experience after last year.”
For the second straight match, the Cats swept doubles to earn the coveted opening point. The squad was bolstered once again by senior Alexis Prousis, who returned to the lineup after sitting out the season opener with tendonitis.
Prousis teamed up with sophomore Georgia Rose in the No. 1 doubles slot, and the two fought past Duke’s fourth-ranked team of Daniela Bercek and Elizabeth Plotkin 8-6. Down 6-5, the star pairing rallied, taking the last three games to set the tone for the dual.
“We’re just not the same team without the NCAA champion,” Pollard said. “She was in some pain, but she used a lot of heart and guts to get through.”
The Cats’ other doubles tandem, freshmen Samantha Murray and Lauren Lui and sophomores Keri Robinson and Nazlie Ghazal, cruised to easy victories, and NU had the early 1-0 advantage.
Seizing the momentum gained by their doubles play, the Cats dismantled Duke’s strong roster behind five straight-set singles wins. Leading the way was sophomore Georgia Rose, who had lost only one game in her win over DePaul’s Beatrix Csordas on Wednesday. On Sunday, she nearly equaled that feat, dropping only three games in her 6-3, 6-0 drubbing of Duke’s Daniela Bercek.
As dominating as Rose’s performance was, Ghazal’s was even better. Playing at No. 6 singles, Ghazal disposed of Blue Devil Kristin Cargill 6-1, 6-0. She has dropped just one game in the last two matches combined.
“Nazlie’s just continuing on from a stellar freshmen year. It’s certainly nice to have someone that talented at (No. 6),” Pollard said.
In the most competitive of the team’s wins, Murray fought past Duke’s Samantha Plotkin 7-6 (9-7), 6-0 in No. 2 singles. The freshman outlasted Plotkin in the first-set tiebreaker, slamming a crosscourt winner on set point, then ran over the demoralized Blue Devil in the second set.
Pollard was heartened by Murray’s play, especially after the freshman’s frustrating loss against DePaul.
“I thought it was a particularly good performance against a really good player from Duke,” Pollard said.
The team’s lone loss came when freshman Lauren Lui fell to Tory Zawacki , 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6), in No. 4 singles.
With the win, NU proved it could play with – and manhandle – elite competition. The team has cruised past its first two opponents and appears to have left any preseason jitters behind.
“I was very pleased with what I saw,” Pollard said.
Reach Jake Simpson at [email protected]
