The nation’s top-ranked team proved too much for Minnesota on Saturday as the Gophers fell 7-0 to Northwestern at the Baseline Tennis Center.
The Wildcats won all six singles matches in straight sets and swept the doubles matches all by 8-3 scores in winning for the 11th straight outing. Northwestern is now 19-1 overall and maintained its place atop the Big Ten standings with a 7-0 league mark. Minnesota lost its third straight and fell to 9-10 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.
In the Gophers’ first home outdoor dual match in two seasons, Northwestern jumped to a 1-0 lead with the doubles sweep and then carried the momentum into singles by dropping a total of 16 games in the six matches.
Tijana Koprivica and Niltooli Wilkins each took four games from ranked opponents as Koprivica lost to 20th-ranked Georgia Rose 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 and Wilkins fell to 119th-ranked Lauren Lui 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3. Karina Chiarelli pulled out three games from the nation’s second-ranked player in a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Maria Mosolova at No. 1.
Alex Seaton lost her match at No. 4 singles to Nazlie Ghazal 6-1, 6-1, while Jackie Sperling suffered a 6-1, 6-0 loss to Keri Robison at No. 5 and Peta Forsyth was beaten 6-0, 6-2 by Elena Chernyakova at No. 6.
The Gophers conclude their home season on Easter Sunday with a dual against Wisconsin at 11 a.m. at the Baseline Tennis Center.
#1 Northwestern 7, #75 Minnesota 0
Singles
1. #2 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. Karina Chiarelli (MINN) 6-1, 6-2
2. #20 Georgia Rose (NU) def. Tijana Koprivica (MINN) 6-3, 6-1
3. #119 Lauren Lui (NU) def. Niltooli Wilkins (MINN) 6-0, 6-4
4. Nazlie Ghazal (NU) def. Alex Seaton (MINN) 6-1, 6-1
5. Keri Robison (NU) def. Jackie Sperling (MINN) 6-1, 6-0
6. Elena Chernyakova (NU) def. Peta Forsyth (MINN) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
1. #14 Georgia Rose/Lauren Lui (NU) def. Karina Chiarelli/Alex Seaton (MINN) 8-3
2. #28 Keri Robison/Maria Mosolova (NU) def. Tijana Koprivica/Jackie Sperling (MINN) 8-3
3. Elena Chernyakova/Nazlie Ghazal (NU) def. Alessandra Ferrazzi/Niltooli Wilkins (MINN) 8-3
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,4,5,6,2,3)
Match played outdoors
