EVANSTON, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team fell to No. 23 Northwestern on Sunday, 6-1. The Fighting Illini drop to 3-6 on the season, and Northwestern improves to 5-4.
Northwestern struck first and won the doubles point. Brooke Rischbieth and Erin Larner won the No. 3 doubles match, 6-2, over Alexis Casati and Daniela Pedraza Novak, and the 15th-ranked doubles pair of Maddie Lipp and Alex Chatt defeated Louise Kwong and Ines Vias at the No. 1 spot, 6-2.
In singles, Pedraza Novak fell to Chatt, 6-3, 6-1 at the No. 5 position. At No. 2 singles, 87th-ranked Lipp defeated Casati, 6-0, 7-5. Northwestern clinched the match with Larner's win at the No. 1 spot over Kwong, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 110 Lee Or defeated Jaclyn Switkes at No. 4 singles, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Grace Tapak won at No. 6 singles over 103rd-ranked Rischbieth, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7), for her first win over a ranked opponent in singles this season.
Rheeya Doshi defeated Maddie Baillon at the No. 3 spot, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 1-0 (10-8) to make the final score 6-1 Northwestern.
UP NEXT
The Illini will have a short week, and will head back out on the road to face Arkansas on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. CT. The weekend road trip will also take Illinois to Oklahoma, where the Illini will face the Sooners on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. CT.
Northwestern 6, Illinois 1
DOUBLES
1. #15 Maddie Lipp/Alex Chatt (NU) def. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) 6-2
2. Jaclyn Switkes/Madie Baillon (ILL) vs. Rheeya Doshi/Lee Or (NU) 5-3, unfinished
3. Brooke Rischbieth/Erin Larner (NU) def. Alexis Casati/Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1
SINGLES
1. Erin Larner (NU) def. Louise Kwong (ILL) 6-3, 6-4
2. #87 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Alexis Casati (ILL) 6-0, 7-5
3. Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. #97 Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)
4. #110 Lee Or (NU) def. Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
5. Alex Chatt (NU) def. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 6-3, 6-1
6. Grace Tapak (ILL) def. #103 Brooke Rischbieth (NU) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
Order of finish: 5, 2, 1, 4, 6, 3
