Huskers Battle, But Come Up Short Against Badgers

MADISON, Wisc. – To close out the regular season, the Nebraska men’s tennis team (1-15, 1-15 Big Ten) rallied, but came up short against the Wisconsin Badgers (5-12, 5-11 Big Ten), 4-2, Sunday on the road at the Nielsen Tennis Center.
 
Highlighting today’s play was two Husker players improving their season records and grabbing singles points. 
 
To start off doubles play, freshman Nic Wiedenhorn and sophomore Shunya Maruyama lost their matchup at No. 2 against Wisconsin’s Lenard Soha and Jesper Freimuth, 2-6. Winning the doubles point for the Badgers was Jared Pratt and Robin Parts at No. 1, defeating Nebraska’s duo of junior Victor Moreno Lozano and sophomore Albert Sprlak-Puk, 6-3. The No. 3 match between juniors William Gleason and Patrick Cacciatore was halted at a 4-4 tie. 

In singles competition, Sprlak-Puk continued his weekend success, beating Freimuth at No. 4 in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Sprlak-Puk is now 4-8 in Big Ten play and on a two-match winning streak heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Moreno battled at No. 3 and took the second set to a tiebreak, but lost to Parts, 2-6, 6-7. At No. 5, Wiedenhorn fought hard in the first set to tie it up at 6-6 and take it to a tiebreak, but dropped the second set and the match, 6-7, 3-6. Cacciatore got the start at No. 6 and the win over Wisconsin’s Dzhurinskiy, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1. Cacciatore closes regular season play with a 4-9 overall record. At the deciding No. 1 matchup, Maruyama drops a closely contested three-set battle with Pratt, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, and the Badgers win the match overall, 4-2.

 

Play was stopped with Gleason’s No. 2 match against Soha tied one set a piece and Gleason up 6-5 in the third set. 

Following a week off, Nebraska will stay home and host the Big Ten Tournament, April 29-May 2. The tournament will be open to the public with masks required for all in attendance. 

 

Tennis Match Results

Nebraska vs Wisconsin

4/18/2021 at Madison, Wis.

(Nielsen Tennis Stadium)

Wisconsin 4, Nebraska 2

Singles competition

1. Jared Pratt (WIS) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)

2. Lenard Soha (WIS) vs. William Gleason (NEB) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-1), 5-6, unfinished

3. Robin Parts (WIS) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)

4. Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) def. Jesper Freimuth (WIS) 6-2, 6-3

5. Robert Krill (WIS) def. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 7-6 (11-9), 6-3

6. Patrick Cacciatore (NEB) def. Tim Dzhurinskiy (WIS) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Jared Pratt/Robin Parts (WIS) def. Victor Moreno Lozano/Albert Sprlak-Puk (NEB) 6-3

2. Lenard Soha/Jesper Freimuth (WIS) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-2

3. Tim Dzhurinskiy/Daniel Nuzhny (WIS) vs. William Gleason/Patrick Cacciatore (NEB) 4-4, unfinished

Match Notes:

Nebraska 1-15, 1-15

Wisconsin 5-12, 5-11

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,3,5,6,1)