Indiana men’s tennis welcomed No. 24 Northwestern to Bloomington on Friday evening. In a match that began outside — before being moved inside due to rain — the Wildcats took down the Hoosiers 5-1.
Doubles play began outdoors, the first time this year the Hoosiers have played outside at home.
It was a fiercely competitive doubles point, with Indiana winning at No. 1 and Northwestern winning at No. 3.
“(Fletchall and Tiraspolsky) came out firing on all cylinders. It was awesome to see,” head coach Jeremy Wurtzman said postgame. “I’m proud of those guys.”
The battle at No. 2 was tight and was decided in a tiebreaker, with freshmen Sam Landau and Luc Boulier pulling out the win for the Hoosiers.
“I was just trying to keep them relaxed, keep them smiling,” Wurtzman said in his message to Landau and Boulier during the match.
With the doubles point in hand for the Hoosiers, singles play was moved indoors due to rain in Bloomington.
The Wildcats flipped the script in singles play, winning five consecutive matches and earning a 5-1 win over the Hoosiers. With the result already determined, play was suspended before the match at No. 3 could finish.
“We knew it was going to be a tough match,” Wurtzman said. “(Northwestern has) a lot of talent up and down their lineup.”
With the loss, Indiana falls to 1-1 in Big Ten play and 11-7 overall this season. The Hoosiers continue to struggle against premium opposition, now 0-7 against ranked opponents.
The Hoosiers are back in action Sunday with a home doubleheader. No. 22 Illinois and Saint Louis University will visit the IU Tennis Center, with play beginning at noon.
“Illinois is extremely good. We’re going to have to play well to match their level,” Wurtzman said. “It’s going to be a lot of tennis, but hopefully the guys will be ready.”
Follow reporter Zach Browning (@ZachBrowning17) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s tennis season.
