Huskers Wrap Up Blue-Gray Tennis Classic

Montgomery, Ala. – The Nebraska men’s tennis team (3-8, 0-0 Big Ten) dropped two matches as it faced both Auburn (9-2, 0-0 SEC) and Alabama (4-8, 0-0 SEC) this weekend at the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, Ala. 

Nebraska faced Auburn to start the day and began the matchup with doubles play which was held on Saturday night. In the No. 1 spot, Auburn’s Tad Maclean and Finn Murgett took down the Huskers’ Victor Moreno Lozano and Nic Wiedenhorn, 6-3. Clinching the doubles point for the Tigers was the team of Raul Dobai and Maxwell Giddens as they defeated Nebraska’s Patrick Cacciatore and Calvin Mueller, 6-1, to go up by one in the match.

In singles action, Auburn took all three games to sweep the match, 4-0. Jan Galka was victorious in the No. 2 spot over Mueller, while Maclean defeated Wiedenhorn in the No. 3 spot. Sealing the match win was the Tigers’ Murgett as he came out on top over Shunya Maruyama, 6-4, 6-1. All three other games were left unfinished, including Roni Hietaranta who won the first set and led Will Nolan going into the second set. 

The Huskers finished the day with a match against Alabama. Doubles play kicked things off as the duo of Moreno and Lozano took the set in the No.1 spot. Nebraska then claimed the overall doubles point after Patrick Cacciatore and Roni Hietaranta won in the No. 3 spot, 7-6(4).

Alabama then won the first four singles matches and won the match, 4-1. Mueller took Fliip Planinsek to three sets before the match was called in favor of Auburn. Hietaranta, who holds a record of 8-2 on the season, had to end the match due to injury up 7-5 in the first set over the Tigers’ Will Nolan.

Up next, the Huskers will travel to the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships in San Diego, with the tournament being held March 4-6.

Saturday, Feb. 26 Results

Auburn 4, Nebraska 0

Singles Competition:

1. Dario Huber (NEB) vs. Tyler Stice (AU) 2-6, 6-4, 0-1, unfinished

2. Jan Galka (AU) def. Calvin Mueller (NEB) 6-1, 6-4

3. Tad Maclean (AU) def. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 6-2, 6-2

4. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) vs. Raul Dobai (AU) 7-6, 1-2, unfinished

5. Finn Murgett (AU) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-4, 6-1

6. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) vs. Will Nolan (AU) 7-5, unfinished

Doubles Competition:

1. Tad Maclean/Finn Murgett (AU) def. Victor Moreno Lozano/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) 6-3

2. Dario Huber/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) vs. Jan Galka/Tyler Stice (AU) UF

3. Raul Dobai/Maxwell Giddens (AU) def. Patrick Cacciatore/Calvin Mueller (NEB) 6-1

Match Notes:

Auburn (9-2)

Nebraska (3-7)

Alabama 4, Nebraska 1

Singles Competition:

1. Fliip Planinsek (ALA) def. Dario Huber (NEB) 6-4, 6-4

2. Calvin Mueller (NEB) vs. Enzo Aguiard (ALA) 2-6, 6-1, 1-0, unfinished

3. German Samofalov (ALA) def. William Gleason (NEB) 6-1, 6-2

4. Joao Ferreira (ALA) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-3, 6-1

5. Rudi Christiansen (ALA) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-4, 2-2

6. Zach Foster (ALA) def. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) 5-3, Injured

Doubles Competition:

1.  Victor Moreno Lozano/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) def. German Samofalov/ Filip Planinsek (ALA) 6-3

2. Enzo Aguiard/ Joao Ferreira def. Dario Huber/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-4

3. Patrick Cacciatore/Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Zach Foster/Rudi Christiansen 7-6 (4)

Match Notes:

Alabama (4-8)

Nebraska (3-8)