EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University of Chicago men's tennis team opened play in calendar year 2008 with a 6-1 loss at Northwestern University Sunday evening.

Freshman Will Zhang (Wynnewood, Pa./ Lower Merion) notched the Maroons' (0-1) lone victory with a 7-6 (3-0), 3-6, 10-7 decision over the Wildcats' (1-0) Peter Rispoli at third singles.

The match marked the first of four slated against Division I opponents this season.

Northwestern 6, Chicago 1

Singles
1. Marc Dwyer (NU) def. Garrett Brinker (UCM) 6-1, 6-1
2. Alexander Thams (NU) def. Lado Bakhutashvili (UCM) 6-2, 6-4
3. Will Zhang (UCM) def. Peter Rispoli (NU) 7-6 (3-0), 3-6, 10-7
4. Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Tim Walsh (UCM) 6-0, 6-0
5. Juan Gomez (NU) def. Steve Saltarelli (UCM) 6-4, 6-3
6. Philip Kafka (NU) def. Joseph Tchan (UCM) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles
1. Marc Dwyer/Alex Sanborn (NU) def. Lado Bakhutashvili/Steve Saltarelli (UCM) 8-3
2. Peter Rispoli/Alexander Thams (NU) def. Garrett Brinker/Joseph Tchan (UCM) 8-5
3. Juan Gomez/David Seyferth (NU) def. Mark Bonner/Tim Walsh (UCM) 8-5