Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Fighting Illini women's tennis team fell to No. 13 Northwestern, 5-2 on Friday night at the Combe Tennis Center. Illinois moves to 5-6 overall this season and 0-1 in Big Ten play.
The Wildcats jumped out to the early one-point lead with doubles wins on courts one and two. No. 20 Lee Or/Clarris Hand took down Emilee Duong/Jaclyn Switkes, 6-3, and No. 27 Hannah McClogan/Julie Byrne clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory over No. 60 Sasha Belaya/Daniela Pedraza Novak.
The two teams went back and forth in singles play. No. 109 Julie Byrne earned a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Jaclyn Switkes on court two to extend the Northwestern lead before sophomore Mia Rabinowitz claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win over Lee Or on court three to get Illinois on the board. The Wildcats rattled off wins on courts four and five to clinch the victory, as Caroline Pozo took down Sasha Belaya, 6-3, 6-4, and Rheeya Doshi claimed a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Emilee Duong.
Playing at No. 1 singles, Asuka Kawai continued her strong play, as the sophomore picked up a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 30 Clarissa Hand on court one to mark her third-straight singles win over a top-40 ITA-ranked opponent.
Up next, the Illini will travel east to take on both Indiana (March 8) and Purdue (March 9).
Final ResultsÂ
#13 Northwestern 5, Illinois 2
Doubles-Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2*
1. #20 Or/Hand (NU) def. Duong/Switkes (Illinois) 6-3
2. #27 McColgan/Byrne (NU) def. #60 Belaya/Novak (Illinois) 6-4
3. Kawai/Rabinowitz (Illinois) def. Pozo/Doshi (NU) 6-2
Singles-Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 5*, 1, 6
1. Asuka Kawai (Illinois) def. #30 Clarissa Hand (NU)Â 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. #109 Julie Byrne (NU) def. Jaclyn Switkes (Illinois) 6-0, 6-1
3. Mia Rabinowitz (Illinois) def. Lee Or (NU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Sasha Belaya (Illinois) def. Caroline Pozo (NU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Rheeya Doshi (NU) def. Emilee Duong (Illinois) 7-6(4), 6-3
6. Carol Finke (NU) def. Daniela Pedraza Novak (Illinois) 2-6, 7-6(0), 6-4
Records: Illinois (5-6) | #13 Northwestern (7-5)
Follow the Illini:
FightingIllini.com | Facebook  | Twitter | Instagram
