April 30, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to Northwestern in a Big Ten Championships quarterfinal Friday in East Lansing, Mich. The Boilermakers, ranked 58th nationally and seeded fifth in the tournament, are now 10-12, and will await an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships. The 46th-ranked Wildcats, the tournament's fourth seed, improved to 15-8 with the win. They will face No. 1 Illinois, the top seed, in a Saturday semifinal.
Northwestern, which beat Purdue in the regular season by a 5-2 score in Evanston, Ill., got on the board first by claiming the doubles point. The point did not come easily, however. The Boilermakers' sophomore pair of Colin Foster and Paul Rose beat Matt Christian and Adam Schaechterle 8-2 at No. 3, giving Purdue a leg up. The Wildcats responded with an 8-5 win by Tommy Hanus and Christian Tempke over juniors Sounak Chatterjee and Filip Koziell at No. 2.
The point came down to No. 1, with senior Troy Havens and junior David Robinson locking horns with Justin Hoeveler and Chuck Perrin. Both teams traded blows, and needed a tiebreaker to decide the outcome. In the end, Hoeveler and Perrin outlasted Havens and Robinson, winning the extra session by a 7-5 score.
Purdue entered singles in need of four wins. Northwestern struck first, with Willy Lock beating Chatterjee 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4. Rose, ranked 103rd nationally in singles, answered with a 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 defeat of Hanus at No. 1.
Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, Northwestern took the next two matches, as Tempke beat Havens in three sets at No. 2, and Perrin beat Robinson in three sets at No. 3. Robinson's third set was decided in a tiebreaker.
Purdue head coach Tim Madden was not disappointed in his team's effort.
"We fought hard right to the end, but we just didn't get it done," Madden said. "We competed very hard, and it was difficult to lose it in the end."
Madden realizes a win against Northwestern would have bolstered the Boilermakers' chances for an NCAA bid. As a result, he took time after the Northwestern loss to briefly assess the season.
"I am very proud of this team and how strong it finished the season," Madden said. "What is most impressive is how they pulled together through some tough times, and in the end played like a team with a lot of confidence. That's what it's all about."
#46 Northwestern 4, #58 Purdue 1Singles1. Paul Rose (PU) def. Tommy Hanus (NU) 7-5, 0-6, 6-42. Christian Tempke (NU) def. Troy Havens (PU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-33. Chuck Perrin (NU) def. David Robinson (PU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6(4)4. Willy Lock (NU) def. Sounak Chatterjee (PU) 7-5, 6-35. Matt Christian (NU) vs. Colin Foster (PU) - abandoned at one set apiece (1st: PU 7-5 2nd: NU 7-6(2))6. Adam Schaecterle (NU) vs. Eric Hodgman (PU) - Schaecterle led 6-4, 5-3- P -
Doubles1. Hoeveler/Perrin (NW) def. Havens/Robinson (PUR) 9-8(5)2. Hanus/Tempke (NW) def. Chatterjee/Koziell (PUR) 8-53. Foster/Rose (PUR) def. Christian/Schaechterle (NW) 8-2
Order of Singles Finish: 4, 1, 2, 3Order of Doubles Finish: 3, 2, 1
Purdue: 10-12Northwestern: 15-8