Northwestern men’s and women’s tennis had busy weekends as they competed at the 68th Annual Men’s Intercollegiate Championships and the Wolverine Invitational.
The standout result of the weekend came on the women’s side, where freshman Margot Phanthala picked up a Top-10 win, defeating Michigan’s Piper Charney on the second day of the tournament. Charney was ranked No. 10 in the ITA’s pre-season rankings, while Phanthala earned her very first collegiate match win.
Sophomore Erica Jessel, sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman and junior Katya Shepherd Johnson also competed in Ann Arbor.
On Friday, the team played matches against members of Ohio State’s women’s team. Sheperd Johnson was the lone Wildcat to win a singles match, defeating Megan Basil 6-3, 6-4. Phanthala fell to Sophia Cisse 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Jessel competed against Hephzibah Oluwadare and lost 6-1, 7-6 (5). Dagan Fruchtman lost in three sets to Flora Johnson 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
In doubles, the two Wildcat pairings faced off against pairings on Michigan’s team. Phanthala and Jessel lost to Ava Bruno and Emily Sartz-Lunde 6-2. The second Wildcat duo of Shepard Johnson and Dagan Fruchtman fell to Bayley Sheinin and Laura Maser 6-4.
The next day, the ’Cats competed against Michigan players in singles. Phanthala claimed the only singles win of the day for NU with a signature win over Charney. Jessel lost in straight sets to Lily Jones 6-2, 6-3. Dagan Fruchtman also lost in straight sets to Laura Rahnel 6-3, 7-6(5). Shepherd Johnson played a close match but lost to Sheinin 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
The ’Cats also competed against Michigan in doubles. Shepherd Johnson partnered Jessel and lost 6-1 to the pairing of Jessica Bernales and Jones.
On the final day of the tournament, NU had more success, as Phanthala and Jessel each won in straight sets, defeating Pia Kranholdt and Nikita Vishwase of Iowa, respectively. Dagan Fruchtman lost to Emma Tothová of Iowa 6-1, 6-4. Shepherd Johnson played Gabriella Lindgren of Michigan and lost 6-4, 6-1.
Phanthala and Dagan Fruchtman teamed up and beat Pehal Kharadkar and Regina Mendez Carreño of Eastern Michigan 6-4. Jessel and Shepherd Johnson were swiftly defeated by Michigan’s Gabriella Lindgren and Reese Miller 6-1.
On the men’s side, freshman Cooper Han, sophomore transfer Dylan Charlap, junior Greyson Casey and junior Ethan Schiffman competed in San Diego.
Han upset the qualifying draw’s top seed, Karel Fromel of UC Santa Barbara, 6-4, 6-4, before falling to Grand Canyon’s Andreas Loizas 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the main draw.
Charlap also competed in qualifying, besting Washington’s Daniel Bien 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. In his first round of the main draw, Charlap advanced due to his opponent Sean Kamyshev of Cal Poly withdrawing from injury, down 3-0. In his second round, Charlap faced the top seed, Stian Klaassen of San Diego, losing 6-2, 6-4.
Casey and Schiffman received direct entry into the main draw. Casey lost his first round matchup to Lambert Ruland of USD 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Schiffman faced the No. 5 seed Niels Hoffman of USC, losing 6-2, 7-6(5).
In doubles qualifying, Han and Schiffman, the 3rd-seeded pair in the draw, fell to Denis Maijorov and William Kleege of San Diego State 6-4. Charlap and Casey lost their first round in the main draw to Daniel Jankoski and Brice Patoux of Grand Canyon 7-6(5).
The men’s and women’s teams look ahead to the ITA Midwest Regional, which begins Oct. 16.
Email: mayaheyman2028@u.northwestern.edu
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