Tennis: ‘Cats split ITA Kickoff contests

It may be early in the year, but Northwestern’s tennis teams are holding up.

The men’s team split its two games in Ann Arbor, Michigan last weekend, beating the Arkansas Razorbacks 4-0 but falling to No. 4 Michigan by the same scoreline. Northwestern, led by graduate students Steven Forman and Simen Bratholm, handed Arkansas their first loss of the season. The ‘Cats fought well against the Wolverines the next day, but ultimately failed to make it to the ITA Indoor Nationals and what would have been a huge upheaval in college tennis.

Northwestern’s impressive performance led to their rise in this week’s ITA rankings, with the Cats now the 23rd-ranked team in the nation.

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

Coach Pollard’s team also split its two ITA kickoff weekend games 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 high note.

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