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The Nebraska men’s tennis team started its season with two 7-0 wins at home on Saturday. The Big Red blanked Drake and Bellarmine on the doubleheader day to start the season 2-0. Two Huskers made their Big Red dual debuts, and NU claimed 17 total matches.
The Huskers started the season and home opening day with doubles against Drake. Juniors Leo Linquet and Joan Torres Espinosa faced Ben Johnson and Will Ecklund, taking a dominant 6-1 win on court three. At No. 2 doubles, Calvin Mueller and Nikolay Sysoev got an early lead over Bulldogs Tomovski and Alessandro Hernandez. The Huskers finished with a 6-2 win, claiming the doubles point for the Big Red. Anton Shepp and Henry Bilicic’s match was left unfinished on court one.
With the 1-0 lead, singles action started, featuring Big Red dual debuts for redshirt freshman Colson Wells and junior Joan Torres Espinosa. Every Husker took their first set, and Sysoev was the first to finish, taking the victory on Court Two in two sets over Christian Winstead (6-1, 6-3).
Closely following was Anton Shepp, who opened his season with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Ben Johnson on Court One. Freshman Colson Wells took his first set 6-0, and was able to round out the match with a 6-2 advantage in the second. The win for Wells gave the Husers the 4-0 lead, clinching the match for Nebraska.
Extending the lead for the Huskers was Leo Linquet, defeating Will Ecklund 6-0, 6-2. Roni Hietaranta and Joan Torres Espinosa closed out the match, both managing wins, 6-0, 6-1, and 6-1, 6-1, respectively. The Huskers secured the 7-0 sweep, closing all singles matches in two sets.
After a break between duals, the Huskers resumed action against the Bellarmine Knights at the Dillon Tennis Center. On Court Three, Huskers Linquet and Torres Espinosa kicked off the dual with a 6-2 win over Eli Wood and Brent Reynolds. Another win for Nikolay Sysoev and Calvin Mueller over Louie Fletcher and Vineet Ramesh (6-1) secured the doubles point for Nebraska. Anton Shepp and Henry Bilicic fought hard, but fell to Louie Fletcher and Matthew Nice, 7-6(5).
With the 1-0 lead going into the singles matches, Leo Linquet was able to win in straight sets against Louie Fletcher, not dropping a single game (6-0, 6-0). Joan Torres Espinosa also notched his second singles win of the day, 6-1, 6-2 over Brent Reynolds.
Sysoev battled Wood on Court Four, winning in straight sets as well, 6-3, 6-3 to take the 4-0 lead and clinch the win for Nebraska.
Finishing next were Mueller (6-3, 6-1) and Shepp (6-4, 6-4), who recorded victories on Courts One and Two. With Roni Hietaranta winning a close match with Matthew Nice, 7-6(1), 6-4, the Big Red notched their second 7-0 sweep on the day. The Huskers open their spring season 2-0.
UP NEXT
NU heads to Lexington, Ky., next for the ITA Kick-Off weekend on Jan. 24. The Huskers start the tournament against #18 Arizona State, and will then face either #7 Kentucky or Santa Clara.
Nebraska 7, Drake 0
Singles Competition
1. Anton Shepp (NEB) def. Ben Johnson (DRA) 6-0, 6-1
2. Nikolay Sysoev (NEB) def. Christian Winstead (DRA) 6-1, 6-3
3. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Jose Alessandro Hernandez (DRA) 6-0, 6-1
4. Joan Torres (NEB) def. Aaron Dawson (DRA) 6-1, 6-1
5. Leo Linquet (NEB) def. Will Ecklund (DRA) 6-1, 6-0
6. Colson Wells (NEB) def. Logan Tomovski (DRA) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. Anton Shepp/Henry Bilicic (NEB) vs. Ben Johnson/Will Ecklund (DRA) 4-4, UF
2. Calvin Mueller/Nikolay Sysoev (NEB) def. Logan Tomovski/Jose Alessandro Hernandez (DRA) 6-2
3. Leo Linquet/Joan Torres (NEB) def. Aaron Dawson/Adan Tarquino (DRA) 6-1
Nebraska 7, Bellarmine 0
Singles Competition
1. Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. Jack Batchelor (BELL) 6-3, 6-1
2. Anton Shepp (NEB) def. Vineet Ramesh (BELL) 6-4, 6-4
3. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) def. Matthew Nice (BELL) 7-6(1), 6-4
4. Nikolay Sysoev (NEB) def. Eli Wood (BELL) 6-3, 6-3
5. Leo Linquet (NEB) def. Louie Fletcher (BELL) 6-0, 6-0
6. Joan Torres Espinosa (NEB) def. Brent Reynolds (BELL) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles Competition
1. Jack Batchelor/Matthew Nice (BELL) def. Anton Shepp/Henry Bilicic (NEB) 7-6(5)
2. Calvin Mueller/Nikolay Sysoev (NEB) def. Louie Fletcher/Vineet Ramesh (BELL) 6-1
3. Leo Linquet/Joan Torres Espinosa (NEB) def. Eli Wood/Brent Reynolds (BELL) 6-2