NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team pulled out a gutsy 4-2 win over No. 29 Northwestern, Sunday, at the Currey Tennis Center. After dropping four first sets the Commodores were able to battle back in a big way. Junior Jeffrey Offerdahl made his first appearance at No. 5 singles this season and clinched the match, winning 5-6 (4), 6-1, 6-3.
Vanderbilt improves to 4-1 overall and 2-1 against ranked opponents with the win over the 29th-ranked Wildcats. Northwestern falls to 4-2 this season.
The Commodores were able to win the doubles point, after not winning the point the last two times out. After Rhys Johnson and Ryan Smith dropped their match 3-6, 2nd-ranked Gonzales Austin and Ryan Lipman were able to take their match at No. 1, 6-3.
At No. 3 doubles Offerdahl and Anton Kovrigin were able to go up a break in the seventh game before taking the match and clinching the doubles point, 6-4.
The `Dores started slow in singles play, dropping four-of-five first sets. The lone Commodore to come out hot was ninth-ranked Austin was able to take care of business at No. 2 singles, winning in straight-sets, two and four.
Both Kovrigin at No. 4 and Offerdahl at No. 5, dropped tough first set tiebreaks, five and four, respectively. However, they were able to battle back, splitting in convincing fashion, winning 6-1 on both courts.
After Lipman dropped his match 2-6, 6-4, 3-6 it was Kovrigin who won 6-3 in the final set to setup Offerdahl’s clinch at No. 5.
Kris Yee came out ready to play at No. 6, giving Offerdahl a run as to who would clinch the match. Yee’s match went unfinished with the Vandy junior leading 6-2, 4-2.
57th-ranked Johnson fell to No. 114 Sam Shropshire, 1-6, 2-6, at No. 3 singles.
Vanderbilt will be back in action at the Currey Tennis Center next weekend, when they host No. 56 Middle Tennessee and Lipscomb for a Sunday doubleheader.
#21 Vanderbilt 4, #29 Northwestern 2
Singles competition:
1. Raleigh Smith (NU) def. Ryan Lipman (VU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
2. #9 Gonzales Austin (VU) def. Konrad Zieba (NU) 6-2, 6-4
3. #114 Sam Shropshire (NU) def. #57 Rhys Johnson (VU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Anton Kovrigin (VU) def. Mihir Kumar (NU) 5-6 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3
5. Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) def. Strong Kirchheimer (NU) 5-6 (4-7), 6-1, 6-3
6. Kris Yee (VU) vs. Fedor Baev (NU) 6-2, 4-2, unfinished
Doubles competition:
1. #2 Gonzales Austin/Ryan Lipman (VU) def. Raleigh Smith/Mihir Kumar (NU) 6-3
2. Sam Shropshire/Alp Horoz (NU) def. Rhys Johnson/Ryan Smith (VU) 6-3
3. Jeffrey Offerdahl/Anton Kovrigin (VU) def. Fedor Baev/Strong Kirchheimer (NU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Northwestern 4-2; National ranking #29
Vanderbilt 4-1; National ranking #21
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,2,4,1,5)
T-2:47
