Senior Sydney Pratt won Northwestern’s first singles set Friday night after her Vanderbilt opponent couldn’t return a dazzling crosscourt forehand. Around her, a multitude of her teammates were on the brink of capturing their first sets.
Graduate student Britany Lau, senior Kiley Rabjohns and sophomore Neena Feldman each stepped up to serve for the set, up a break. Meanwhile, freshman Mika Dagan Fruchtman, also up a break, prepared for a return game where a break of serve would grant her the set.
The Wildcats (6-5, 0-0 Big Ten) ended up capturing four first singles sets, putting them in position for a comeback after dropping the doubles point. Ultimately, the Commodores (8-1, 1-0 SEC) held strong with a 4-2 win.
“I think that was a disappointing performance,” coach Claire Pollard said. “I don’t think we played with enough energy. … I just didn’t think we gave ourselves enough of a chance.”
The top of NU’s doubles lineup came out to a slow start, as both the No. 1 pairing of Lau and Dagan Fruchtman as well as the No. 2 duo of Pratt and freshman Erica Jessel fell into an early break. Both teams failed to climb out of the hole they dug themselves into.
Pratt and Jessel lost 6-2, tied for the most convincing loss of their campaign as doubles partners. Lau and Dagan Fruchtman fell 6-4 soon thereafter, while the No. 3 duo of Rabjohns and Feldman had their match unfinished down 5-4.
“I think every coach thinks winning the doubles points is important,” Pollard said. “It sets the tone for the match. I think one of the things we’ve always prided ourselves on is being well-coached and being organized.”
Despite dropping the doubles point, NU’s fiery singles start led to four first set victories, with No. 2 Dagan Fruchtman, No. 4 Pratt, No. 5 Rabjohns and No. 6 Feldman winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 and 6-2, respectively.
At the No. 3 position, Lau served for the set at 5-4, at which point she was broken. She earned three break point opportunities in the ensuing game but failed to capitalize. Serving at 5-6 with a chance to send the set to a tiebreak, she was broken, losing the opening set 7-5.
“I think if Brit could have got her first set, that would have relieved some of the stress in the overall trying to get to four,” Pollard said. “You’ve got to be able to get to four without the doubles. You absolutely have to. You can’t win every doubles point.”
The first singles match that concluded play was No. 1 Jessel, as she sustained a 6-2, 6-0 defeat. Jessel remained at the No. 1 spot despite Dagan Fruchtman’s return to the lineup from injury the prior weekend.
Soon, Lau followed suit with a straight-set defeat at 7-5, 6-1. After serving for the first set at 5-4, the sixth-year lost nine of the next 10 games.
The ’Cats’ two points on the day came courtesy of Pratt’s 6-2, 6-3 win and Feldman’s 6-2, 6-2 triumph. Neither player has lost a singles match all season. These victories put the score at 3-2 in favor of Vanderbilt, meaning NU would need both Dagan Fruchtman and Rabjohns to pick up victories.
Despite winning the first set 6-3, the wheels fell off for Dagan Fruchtman, who lost the next two sets 6-3 and 6-2. Her loss granted the Commodores the victory.
“We got some growing to do at (No.) 1 and (No.) 2 for sure,” Pollard said. “We’re young, and we’re inexperienced.”
After winning her first set 6-3, Rabjohns fell in a second set tiebreak 7-6(0), failing to win a point. Her third set was in its first game as Dagan Fruchtman lost.
Pollard applauded the bottom half of her singles lineup, which earned both of the team’s points and won five of six singles sets the ’Cats tallied on the day.
“I thought (No.) 4, (No.) 5, (No.) 6, we were very good,” Pollard said. “But we’ve got to be good (No.) 1, (No.) 2, (No.) 3 doubles and one through six in singles to beat this caliber of team.”
Email: charliespungin2027@u.northwestern.edu
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