NU Drops Heartbreaker to No. 26 Wildcats

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska men’s tennis team (6-14, 2-3 Big Ten) ended the weekend 1-1 after a heartbreaking loss against the No. 26 Northwestern Wildcats (15-7, 4-2 Big Ten), 4-3 at the Dillon Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. 
 
Action started with doubles play as the No. 2 team of Shunya Maruyama and Dario Huber won the opening match against Northwestern’s Brian Berdusco and Simen Bratholm, 6-3. They have now won six of their last seven doubles matches and earned a ranking of No. 85 in the latest ITA Doubles rankings. In the No. 3 spot, the duo of William Gleason and Calvin Mueller knocked off Natan Spear and Trice Pickens, 6-4, to clinch the doubles point for Nebraska. 

On the No. 1 court, Victor Moreno Lozano and Nic Wiedenhorn’s match was called at 5-5 against Northwestern’s No. 58 team of Steven Forman and Felix Nordby and the point was awarded to the Huskers.

 

In singles play, No. 36 Forman beat Huber in consecutive sets, 6-1, 6-1, to give the Wildcats their first point of the match. Maruyama then dropped his match in the No. 3 spot to Pickens, who is ranked No. 118 in singles, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. Northwestern took a 3-1 lead following a victory from Presley Thieneman in the No. 4 spot over Lozano, 6-4, 6-1.

Roni Hietaranta then rallied for the Huskers first singles victory of the afternoon as he defeated Nordby in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. It gave him his team high 11th win of the season and cut the Wildcat lead to 3-2. Mueller then proceeded to upset No. 94 Bratholm in a three-set thriller, 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4, to even the match at three. It was also his second consecutive singles win against a ranked opponent.

Berdusco clinched the matched for the Wildcats after besting Gleason in a three-set classic, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. Gleason managed to battle back to take the tiebreaker in the second set, but ultimately fell just short in the third.

 

Up next, the Huskers hit the road to continue conference play as they travel to Purdue on Saturday and Indiana on Sunday.

No. 26 Northwestern 4, Nebraska 3

Singles Competition:

1. #36 Steve Forman (NU)  def. Dario Huber (NEB) 6-1, 6-1

2. Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. #94 Simen Bratholm (NU) 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4

3. #118 Trice Pickens (NU) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-2, 6-1

4. Presley Thieneman (NU) def. Victor Moreno Lozano (NEB) 6-4, 6-1

5. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Felix Nordby (NU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

6. Brian Berdusco (NU) def. William Gleason (NEB) 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3

Doubles Competition:

1. Victor Moreno Lozano/Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) vs. #58 Steven Forman/Felix Nordby (NU) 5-5, unfinished

2. #85 Shunya Maruyama/Dario Huber (NEB) def. Brian Berdusco/Simen Bratholm (NU) 6-3

3. William Gleason/Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. Natan Spear/Trice Pickens (NU) 6-4

Match Notes:

No. 26 Northwestern (15-7)

Nebraska (6-14)

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