EVANSTON, Ill. — Vanderbilt men’s tennis handled business on its first road matchup of the season, downing Northwestern 6-1 at the Combe Tennis Center on Saturday.
“It was a good first road test for the guys today,” head coach Scott Brown said. “We faced a tough Northwestern team that plays well on their home courts. They brought a good crowd, so it was a really good test for our guys, and I was really happy with the way we fought and battled through adversity. Everybody faced adversity today, whether it was in singles or doubles, and I thought we did a great job overall responding to that.”
The Commodores started strong in doubles play, with the top pairing of sophomore Pablo Martinez Gomez and freshman Hoyoung Roh cruising to a 6-1 win over Chad Miller and Carter Pate. Senior Nathan Cox and junior Hugo Coquelin secured the doubles point soon after, defeating Dylan Charlap and Vincent Yang 6-2. The No. 42 ranked duo of junior Danil Panarin and freshman Jack Satterfield held a 4-3 lead at Court 2 when the point was clinched.
Four of the six singles matches went to three sets, as the Wildcats attempted to shift the momentum after the early deficit. Satterfield generated the quickest result of the day with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Miller. The freshman moves to 2-0 in dual match singles to start his collegiate career. No. 94 Coquelin made the match score 3-0 at No. 6 singles, hanging on against Yang 6-1, 7-6 (5). From there, both teams went back and forth as Vanderbilt searched for its fourth point. It was Cox who delivered the final blow for the Dores, completing a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 comeback over Ethan Schiffman. Panarin and Hoyoung also finished off their matches in three sets, giving Vandy a 6-0 advantage. No. 1 singles became a marathon of a match, and it was the Wildcats’ Pate who snatched a 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (2) win over Martinez Gomez to secure one point in favor of Northwestern.
“Two of our freshman, Roh and Jack, had their first dual matches on the road, and I thought they stayed calm and composed,” Brown said. “But all around this was a team win; really happy for our guys. And now it’s full focus on Friday against UNC. Today was exactly the test we needed before ITA Kickoff Weekend.
“Lastly, I’d like to dedicate this win to the memory of coach Bill Tym, who unfortunately passed away this week. Today we played for him and his legacy, and what he meant to not only Vanderbilt but to the tennis world as a whole.”
Vanderbilt sets its sights on ITA Kickoff Weekend, where the winner of two matches in a four-team bracket will advance to the ITA National Indoor Championships. The Commodores travel to Winston-Salem for a matchup on Friday against the Tar Heels of North Carolina. For more information, updates and exclusive game day content, follow the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team, @VandyMTennis, on Instagram and X.
Vanderbilt 6, Northwestern 1
Doubles
1. Martinez Gomez/Hoyoung (Vanderbilt) def. Miller/Pate (Northwestern) 6-1
2. No. 42 Satterfield/Panarin (Vanderbilt) vs. Cyrus Mahjoob/Greyson Casey (Northwestern) 4-3, unfinished
3. Cox/Coquelin (Vanderbilt) def. Yang/Charlap (Northwestern) 6-2
Singles
1. Pate (Northwestern) def. No. 62 Martinez Gomez (Vanderbilt) 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (2)
2. Hoyoung (Vanderbilt) def. Mahjoob (Northwestern) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
3. Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. Casey (Northwestern) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
4. Satterfield (Vanderbilt) def. Miller (Northwestern) 6-1, 6-2
5. Cox (Vanderbilt) def. Schiffman (Northwestern) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
6. No. 94 Coquelin (Vanderbilt) def. Yang (Northwestern) 6-1, 7-6 (5)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,6,5,2,3,1)
