Huskers Drop Close Fight to Tulsa

Tulsa, Okla. — The Nebraska men’s tennis team (4-3, 0-0 Big Ten) dropped a close road-fight with Tulsa (5-3, 0-0 American Athletic) 4-3 on Friday night at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Oklahoma. 

Action got underway with doubles, with Tulsa winning the first two sets to clinch the point. On Court 3, Tulsa’s Timothy Seger and Daniel Siddall took down the NU pair of Roni Hietaranta and Lars Johann, 6-2. The Golden Hurricanes quickly followed that up with a victory on Court 1 as the No. 51 ranked pair of Kody Pearson and Connor Di Marco defeated Nic Wiedenhorn and Shunya Maruyama, 6-3. The match on Court 2 went unfinished, as William Gleason and Calvin Mueller were up 4-2 over Tulsa’s Adham Gaber and Ezequiel Santalla. 

In singles play, Tulsa jumped out to a 2-0 lead after Tulsa’s Stefan Hampe defeated Maruyama on Court 2, 6-3, 6-1. Leo Linquet answered back for the Huskers, picking up a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory on Court 3 over Callum Gale. This was Linquet’s first action since he medically retired against South Alabama on Jan. 28. NU leveled the match up at 2-2 thanks to a big 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 win on Court 6 by Mueller. 

The back and forth didn’t stop there, as Tulsa once again took a one-point lead after Santalla defeated Gleason 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Court 5. Johann extended the match for the Huskers by defeating Volodymyr Zakharov 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on Court 4.

With the deciding point of the match coming down to Court 1, No. 58 Pearson defeated No. 109 Hietaranta, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4). 

Nebraska returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 19 against Wichita State at 11 a.m. in Wichita, Kan.

Tennis Match Results

Nebraska vs Tulsa

Feb 17, 2023 at Tulsa, Okla.

(Michael D. Case Tennis Center)

Singles competition 

1. #58 Kody Pearson (TLS) def. #109 Roni Hietaranta (NEBM) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4)

2. Stefan Hampe (TLS) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEBM) 6-3, 6-1

3. Leo Linquet (NEBM) def. Callum Gale (TLS) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2

4. Lars Johann (NEBM) def. Volodymyr Zakharov (TLS) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

5. Ezequiel Santalla (TLS) def. William Gleason (NEBM) 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

6. Calvin Mueller (NEBM) def. Daniel Siddall (TLS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0

Doubles competition

1. #51 Kody Pearson/Connor Di Marco (TLS) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEBM) 6-3

2. Adham Gaber/Ezequiel Santalla (TLS) vs. William Gleason/Calvin Mueller (NEBM) 2-4, unfinished

3. Timothy Seger/Daniel Siddall (TLS) def. Roni Hietaranta/Lars Johann (NEBM) 6-2

Match Notes:

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