When Northwestern entered Combe Tennis Center to face Wisconsin Friday, it hadn’t won its opening match of Big Ten play since 2022.
Now-senior, then-freshman Felix Nordby made his conference debut against Penn State that day, recording a win at the No. 1 doubles slot. Three years later, in his final Big Ten opener, he led the Wildcats (8-8, 1-1 Big Ten) to a 5-2 victory over the Badgers (6-4, 0-2 Big Ten).
“I saw a lot of fight,” coach Arvid Swan said. “It was good to win a doubles point. That was really positive. I thought we started off a little slow in singles and then kind of turned it.”
In Friday’s match, the ’Cats captured the crucial doubles point. Over the past two seasons, NU has won just four matches without clinching the doubles point.
Shortly after No. 1 duo of graduate student Saiprakash Goli and sophomore Greyson Casey lost 6-2, sophomore Jackson Caldwell and freshman Vincent Yang won 6-3 at the No. 3.
The No. 2 pairing of Nordby and junior Chad Miller, deciding the fate of the doubles point, fell down 2-0 but powered back by winning four straight games.
“We both bring a lot of energy, so I feel a certain connection with him on a doubles court,” Nordby said. “That’s very important in doubles. Once you have that connection, it’s easier to play good doubles, even when you’re down.”
After Miller failed to serve it out at 5-4, Nordby did so two games later to clinch a 7-5 win.
The ’Cats captured four singles first sets, coming from No. 2 Nordby, No. 3 Casey, No. 4 Miller and No. 6 Yang. No. 5 Caldwell soon dropped his match 6-3, 6-3, while No. 1 Goli lost 6-2, 6-1.
Yang earned NU’s second point of the day, securing a 6-4, 6-1 win. The reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week fell into a 3-0 hole early before winning 12 of his next 14 games, securing the first Big Ten win of his career.
“He just got comfortable,” Swan said. “He got a game under his belt and then started playing with a lot more confidence. I mean, it’s his first Big Ten match, so there’s a little nerves involved.”
Casey followed next with a 6-4, 7-5 win, putting the ’Cats one point away from winning the match.
Nordby secured the win, having been the lone NU player in the lineup the last time the ’Cats won the Big Ten opening match. The Oslo, Norway, native, fell into a 4-1 double-break hole and trailed 3-5, 15-40 at one point. He saved four set points before storming to a 7-6(0), 6-3 win.
“To be honest, I was kind of ready for a second set and hopefully a third,” Nordby said. “I was like, ‘I’m down 3-5, 15-40, I’m just going to play a bigger game now and get ready for the second.’ Then, I hit a few good serves, a few good forehands.”
Miller earned the final point of the day for the ’Cats with a 6-4, 6(4)-7, [10-8] win.
Two days later, Northwestern fell to Nebraska with a mirrored 5-2 scoreline.
Sunday’s match against the Cornhuskers (8-4, 1-1 Big Ten) dropped NU back down to .500 on the season.
The ’Cats dropped the doubles point. Although Nordby and Miller won their doubles match 6-2 at the No. 2 position, No. 3 Yang and Caldwell faced a 6-3 setback, while the visitors trounced past Goli and Casey 7-5 at the No. 1 position.
“We had opportunities to win the doubles point, and it didn’t go our way, so that was difficult,” Swan said. “Felix and Chad are playing at a high level, but we have to improve in the other positions as well. … If we had gotten that doubles point, maybe it gives us a better shot to win the match.”
NU fell into a 3-0 deficit quickly, as No. 6 Caldwell lost 6-3, 6-2, while Goli fell again at the No. 1 spot, this time 6-3, 6-0.
After clinching the match Friday, Nordby got the first point on the board for the ’Cats with his 6-3, 7-6(4) triumph, capped off by a forehand down the line winner. At this point, three NU players were in the early stages of their third sets: No. 3 Casey at 1-1, No. 4 senior Max Benggtson up 2-1 and No. 5 Miller in the lead at 3-2.
“We had an opportunity to win the match,” Swan said. “Even in the end, it didn’t go our way in a couple three set matches.”
Miller didn’t lose another game after Nordby won, as he notched a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win, the first comeback from down a set in his career.
But Casey lost each game after Nordby’s victory, resulting in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 loss that allowed Nebraska to clinch the match. Benggston soon followed with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 loss.
The ’Cats play their first Big Ten road matches of the season when they travel to Indiana and Purdue next weekend.
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