After only graduate student Saiprakash Goli and sophomore Owen Megargee took part in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic from Sept. 27-29, Northwestern sent six players to the ITA Regional Championships this weekend.
The ITA Regional Championship serves as a qualifier for the NCAA Individual Championships, which will be held in Waco, Texas, from Nov. 19-24. The Wildcats participated in the Midwest competition, which was hosted by Michigan State.
The NCAA Championships were previously held following the dual season in the spring. The contest has now been moved to the fall.
In this tournament, Goli was joined by senior Felix Nordby, sophomore Jackson Caldwell, sophomore Greyson Casey, freshman Vincent Yang and freshman Carter Pate.
In singles, Goli and Nordby received spots in the main draw, while the four underclassmen were placed in the qualifying draw.
Each player won their first-round qualifying match, including a tight three-set 7-5, 6(5)-7, 6-3 win by Yang. In the next round, however, Yang lost 6-1, 1-6, 6-1. Caldwell also bowed out of the singles competition in the second round of qualifying with a 7-6(4), 6-2 defeat.
With a tight 6(4)-7, 7-5, 7-5 win, Pate impressively came back from a set down to solidify a spot in the main draw. Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for Casey, who won 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the main draw.
In the main draw’s first round, Pate met his match against Michigan’s junior Nicholas Steiglehner — primarily the Wolverines’ No. 6 in singles last year — in a 6-3, 6-2 defeat.
Casey also had his run from the qualifying draw ended by a Wolverine. Drawn against the tournament’s No. 2 seed and the country’s No. 7 ranked player senior Gavin Young, Casey took the first set but narrowly dropped the ensuing two sets in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss.
Goli and Nordby made it to the second round in different ways. While Goli won 6-3, 6-4, Nordby was battling with Michigan’s junior Benjamin Kittay before the Wolverine retired due to injury. Nordby had taken the second set in a tiebreak after losing a first-set tiebreaker.
Both Goli and Nordby fell in the second round in straight-set defeats. Goli lost 6-1, 6-3 to Western Michigan’s senior Anton Arzhankin, who also beat Goli at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic two weeks prior. Arzhankin is ranked inside the ITA’s preseason top 100.
Nordby lost 6-3, 6-3, as no NU player reached the Round of 16 in singles.
In doubles, though, Nordby and Yang paired up to reach the Round of 16 together. Seeded No. 6 in the draw, they received a bye in the first round and subsequently won their first match 8-5 to reach the final 16.
In a nailbiter, they fell to Big Ten foes, Illinois redshirt juniors William Mroz and Gabrielius Guzauskas. The Illini duo, seeded No. 9 in the tournament, edged Nordby and Yang in an 8-7(4) win. Nordby and Yang found the most success in the competition of any of the ’Cats in either singles or doubles.
Goli and Caldwell lost 8-6 in the first round, while Casey and Pate’s dominant first-round 8-2 win was short-lived. Their scoreline flipped in their next opponent’s favor, as the pairing lost 8-2.
After a stint in East Lansing, NU returns to action next month on Nov. 1 in the Notre Dame Invite.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Men’s Tennis: Goli, Megargee begin fall season with deep runs at Milwaukee Tennis Classic
— Men’s Tennis: Northwestern falls to Santa Clara in UTR Sports NIT Championship quarterfinal
— Men’s Tennis: Northwestern’s season concludes with 4-0 loss to Michigan
