Tennis: ‘Cats split ITA Kickoff contests

It may be early in the year, but Northwestern's tennis teams are holding their own.

The men’s squad split its two matches in Ann Arbor, Mich. last weekend, defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks 4-0, but falling to No. 4 Michigan by the same score. Northwestern, led by graduate students Steven Forman and Simen Bratholm, handed Arkansas its first loss of the season. The ‘Cats put up a good fight against the Wolverines the following day, but ultimately fell short of a trip to the ITA National Indoor Championships and what would’ve been a huge upset in college tennis.

Northwestern’s impressive showing resulted in its climb in this week’s ITA rankings, as the ‘Cats are now the 23rd-ranked team in the nation.

A crucial weekend of matches is on the horizon for coach Arvid Swan and his players. The ‘Cats will host No. 18 Harvard on Friday afternoon at the Combe Tennis Center before traveling to Durham, North Carolina to take on the No. 25 Duke Blue Devils on Sunday morning.

Coach Pollard’s squad also split its two ITA Kickoff Weekend matchups in Charlottesville, Va. The Wildcat women fell to South Carolina 4-2, but came back strong to defeat the Washington State Cougars 4-1 and end the weekend on a positive note.

The ‘Cats also have a big contest this weekend, as they host No. 25 Georgia Tech at the Combe Tennis Center on Sunday.