Huskers Lose at #24 UCLA

The No. 45 Nebraska men’s tennis team was stumped by No. 24 UCLA 6-0 in a Sunday match at the Los Angeles Tennis Center in Los Angeles, Calif. After fighting but coming up short in the doubles point NU (9-6, 1-6 Big Ten) lost in straight sets on all courts except for court six. 

The Huskers fought on the doubles courts before Henry Lamchinniah/Matt Shearer (NEB) dropped their match 3-6 to Andy Nguyen/Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA). Nikolay Sysoev/Henry Bilicic (NEB) answered right back at No. 2 winning their match 6-4 vs. Cassius Chinlund/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) to tie the doubles at one match all. For the doubles point, Jeri Lassila/Joan Torres Espinosa (NEB) lost a tough tiebreaker set at No. 3 doubles to Rudy Quan/Bengt Reinhard (UCLA), 6-7 to clinch the doubles point for the Bruins as the Huskers fell short of the momentum pusher in this match. 

With the Huskers down 0-1 after doubles, the Bruins struck quickly in singles. No. 81 Sysoev fell to No. 119 Quan, 2-6, 1-6. At No. 5 singles, Lamchinniah dropped his match vs. Chinlund, 0-6, 1-6 which brought UCLA’s lead to 3-0. Espinosa lost to Tripathi in straight sets, 3-6, 2-6 clinching the overall match for the Bruins. Immediately after, Van Der Sijs fell to Nguyen in two sets, 4-6, 2-6 playing at No. 3 singles for the first time this season but extending the lead for the Bruins up to five. 

Lassila’s match vs. No. 33 van Loben Sels was decided to be played out on court three. Lassila fell short in this match losing in two sets, 6-7, 3-6 as Nebraska fell to UCLA, 0-6 in their sixth Big Ten Conference match. 

The match between Matt Shearer and Bengt Reinhard was suspended at 3-6, 2-3.

UP NEXT
Nebraska will return home to Lincoln, taking on Washington on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. (CT) at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center. The Big Red will then host Oregon on Sunday, March 29 at Noon (CT).