Northwestern Records Ranked Wins Over No. 69 Indiana, No. 61 Purdue

EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern recorded its first wins over ranked opponents this season when it defeated No. 69 Indiana, 4-3, and No. 61 Purdue, 4-1, in home matches this weekend.

Sophomore Mika Dagan Fruchtman, junior Autumn Rabjohns, and sophomore Maia Loureiro all went 2-0 in singles over the weekend, helping the Wildcats (10-6, 3-2 Big Ten) secure their first two victories of the season in matches in which they lost the doubles point.

On Saturday afternoon, Northwestern hosted the Hoosiers (11-6, 1-4 Big Ten) inside Vandy Christie Tennis Center for the first outdoor match of the season.

Though Dagan Fruchtman and junior Neena Feldman, the No. 81 doubles team in the nation, claimed a 6-4 victory at the No. 2 doubles position, the Wildcats were unable to win the doubles point and fell into a 1-0 deficit.

Indiana took the No. 2 singles match to take a 2-0 lead, but Dagan Fruchtman put Northwestern on the board with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph at the No. 5 singles position. The Wildcats evened the match with sophomore Maia Loureiro earning a 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win at the No. 4 slot. The result marked Loureiro's first singles victory against a Big Ten opponent in her dual season career.

Rabjohns, at No. 3 singles, put Northwestern ahead 3-2, as she won a match after losing the first set for the first time in her dual season career, prevailing 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The Wildcats, however, would then drop the match on the No. 6 court for the contest to be put into another deadlock.

The match was left to first-year Margot Phanthala, the No. 89-ranked singles player in the country. With the match tied at 3-3, Phanthala reigned supreme at No. 1 singles in a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (11-9) contest to give Northwestern its 36th consecutive victory over the Hoosiers.

Returning to indoor action at Combe Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats won their second match in as many days, downing the Boilermakers (6-7, 2-3 Big Ten).

Despite dropping the doubles point, Northwestern bounced back by winning four straight singles matches. Rabjohns, at the No. 3 slot, was the first to finish her match, cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 victory. The junior has now won eight matches while losing five games or fewer this season.

After Rabjohns evened the match at one apiece, Dagan Fruchtman and first-year Marelie Raath led the Wildcats to a 3-1 lead. Dagan Fruchtman registered her fourth consecutive win with a 6-4, 6-4 result at the No. 5 position. Less than a minute later, Raath, playing at No. 6 singles, triumphed in her match, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6).

Despite losing the first set 6-4, Loureiro recovered to clinch the match for Northwestern, as she notched a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory at the No. 4 spot.

The Wildcats make their penultimate road trip of the season next weekend, when they travel to play No. 21 Washington on Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT and No. 64 Oregon on Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. CT.

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