Auburn Women’s Tennis Stays Unbeaten, Rolls Past Northwestern in ITA Indoor Opener
EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 4 Auburn women’s tennis team continues to look like a squad on a mission. On Friday, the Tigers opened their run at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship with a commanding win over host Northwestern, riding strong doubles play and dominant singles performances to a 4-0 sweep at the Combe Tennis Center.
Let’s start with the tone-setter: doubles. Auburn had to claw its way to the opening point after an early setback - a retirement at No. 2 doubles meant the Tigers had no margin for error in the remaining two matches.
But pressure? Auburn didn’t flinch.
On the top court, DJ Bennett and Stefani Webb came through with a critical break to go up 4-2, then slammed the door shut with a 6-2 win. Moments later, Ashton Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova matched that energy, rattling off three straight games to seal another 6-2 victory and clinch the doubles point for Auburn.
That early momentum carried straight into singles play - and the Tigers never let up.
Khairutdinova, who’s quietly putting together a flawless dual-match season, took control early at the No. 2 spot. She jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first set and never looked back, finishing off Northwestern’s Neena Feldman 6-2, 6-2. That win moved the Auburn senior to a perfect 6-0 in singles this season - and more importantly, gave her team a 2-0 lead.
Next up was sophomore Alice Battesti, who continues to be a rock in the middle of Auburn’s lineup. She stormed through her first set 6-1, using a pair of early breaks to set the tone.
And even when Northwestern’s Mika Dagan Fruchtman pushed back with a 3-1 lead in the second, Battesti flipped the switch and rattled off five straight games to close it out. That’s win No. 11 on the year for Battesti - and a 3-0 lead for Auburn.
From there, it was up to DJ Bennett to finish the job - and she delivered. Facing a tough opponent in No. 39-ranked Margot Phanthala, Bennett took the first set 6-3 behind steady baseline play and timely serving.
The second set was tighter, with both players trading breaks early, but Bennett broke through at 3-all and never looked back. A hold to love and a clutch deciding-point win sealed it, 6-3, 6-4, clinching the match for the Tigers.
Auburn improves to 12-0 on the season and punches its ticket to the ITA Indoor quarterfinals, where they’ll face the winner of No. 8 Oklahoma State vs.
No. 9 NC State.
That matchup is set for 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, again at the Combe Tennis Center.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing - Merna Refaat went down during doubles and couldn’t play singles, forcing some reshuffling in the lineup. But Auburn head coach Jordan Szabo praised his team’s ability to stay composed and adapt on the fly.
“It’s never easy playing the home team in this environment,” Szabo said. “Northwestern’s a great program, and the crowd was into it.
But we handled the early nerves well, and I’m proud of how the team responded, especially with some unexpected changes. We’ll be better for it.”
The Tigers also had three unfinished singles matches when the team result was clinched. Angella Okutoyi was locked in a battle at No. 3, having split sets with Autumn Rabjohns. Bowers was trailing in her second set after taking the first in a tiebreak, and Ava Esposito held a second-set lead after edging out the first in a tiebreak of her own.
But with the match already in hand, Auburn can now turn its focus to Saturday - and a chance to keep this perfect season rolling.
Singles Results:
- DJ Bennett (AUB) def.
Margot Phanthala (NU) 6-3, 6-4
- Ekaterina Khairutdinova (AUB) def.
Neena Feldman (NU) 6-2, 6-2
- Alice Battesti (AUB) def.
Mika Dagan Fruchtman (NU) 6-1, 6-3
- Angella Okutoyi (AUB) vs.
Autumn Rabjohns (NU) 5-7, 6-3, 0-0, unfinished
- Ashton Bowers (AUB) vs.
Maia Loureiro (NU) 7-6 (2), 2-5, unfinished
- Ava Esposito (AUB) vs.
Marelie Raath (NU) 7-6 (3), 4-2, unfinished
Doubles Results:
- DJ Bennett / Stefani Webb (AUB) def.
Margot Phanthala / Autumn Rabjohns (NU) 6-2
- Ashton Bowers / Ekaterina Khairutdinova (AUB) def.
Maia Loureiro / Neena Feldman (NU) 6-2
- Match at No. 2 doubles retired (AUB)
Auburn’s blend of depth, composure, and competitive fire was on full display in Evanston. If they keep this up, they’re going to be a serious problem for anyone standing in their way this weekend - and beyond.