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Northwestern's Tempke Garners Big Ten Athlete of the Week Laurels

Illinois improves to No. 3 in the nation with win against top-ranked Virginia

Tempke improved to 5-2 in singles with wins against two top-15 singles opponents.

Tempke improved to 5-2 in singles with wins against two top-15 singles opponents.

Feb. 1, 2006

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Christian Tempke, Northwestern

JR, Wentorf, Germany/Gymnasium LohbrÜgge

 

Tempke garnered his first career Big Ten Athlete of the Week selection after rallying to stay undefeated versus a pair of the nation's top-15 singles players this weekend.

 

After splitting sets against North Carolina's fifth-ranked Raian Luchici, Tempke earned the Wildcats' first team point of the day, winning the hard-fought super-tiebreaker at 11-9 in No. 1 singles. Tempke also teamed with Marc Dwyer to claim the Wildcats' lone doubles win, 8-6, against the Tar Heels' Lenny Gullan and David Stone at No. 2 doubles. Two days after overpowering the fifth-ranked player in the country, Tempke claimed another three-set upset against Wake Forest's 11th-ranked Todd Paul. After Paul won the first set, Tempke countered with a solid effort in the next to sets to triumph 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the top singles match.

 

Tempke improved his singles record to 5-2 this season. He is the first Wildcat to earn weekly honors since Chuck Perrin claimed the weekly award on April 13, 2005.