Nebraska Overpowers Knights, 4-1

Lincoln, Neb.— The Nebraska men's tennis team (4-2, 0-0 Big Ten) picked up a big 4-1 win over UCF (1-5, American Athletic) to close out a three-game home stand on Sunday afternoon at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center.

The two teams opened play with three intense doubles matches. The Huskers dropped the first doubles match on Court 1 as UCF's No. 48 ranked duo of Bogdan Pavel and Lleyton Cronje defeated Nic Wiedenhorn and Shunya Maruyama, 6-3. The Huskers evened it up on Court 3, with Roni Hietaranta and Lars Johann besting Luca Hotze and Liam Branger, 6-3.

Then the Big Red cliched the doubles point on Court 2, as William Gleason and Calvin Mueller beat Luca Hotze and Liam Branger, 6-3.

The intensity continued into singles matches as the Huskers quickly jumped to a 3-0 lead with Gleason beating Benchakroun, 6-1, 6-1 on Court 4, and Wiedenhorn beating Hotze, 6-4, 6-1, on Court 6. The Knights cut the Nebraska lead to two on Court 2, as Pavel defeated Maruyama, 6-1, 7-5. 

The remaining three matches all went to third sets, with Johann picking up the fourth point and clinching the Huskers fourth win of the season on Court 3 with a, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win.

The other two matches went unfinished as No. 109 Hietaranta (Court 1) was leading, 6-4, 3-6, 3-2 and Mueller (Court 5) held the 4-6, 6-3, 3-0 advantage. 

Up next, the Huskers will travel to Tulsa, Okla., on Friday, Feb. 17 to take on the Golden Hurricane's.

Tennis Match Results
UCF vs Nebraska
Feb 12, 2023 at Lincoln, Nebraska (Dillon Tennis Center)

Nebraska 4, UCF 1

Singles competition
1. Roni Hietaranta (NEB) vs. Yassine Dlimi (UCF) 6-4, 3-6, 3-2, unfinished
2. Bogdan Pavel (UCF) def. Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-1, 7-5
3. Lars Johann (NEB) def. Lleyton Cronje (UCF) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
4. William Gleason (NEB) def. Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) 6-1, 6-1
5. Calvin Mueller (NEB) vs. Liam Branger (UCF) 4-6, 6-3, 3-0, unfinished
6. Nic Wiedenhorn (NEB) def. Luca Hotze (UCF) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. #48 Bogdan Pavel/Lleyton Cronje (UCF) def. Nic Wiedenhorn/Shunya Maruyama (NEB) 6-3
2. William Gleason/Calvin Mueller (NEB) def. Yassine Dlimi/Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) 6-3
3. Roni Hietaranta/Lars Johann (NEB) def. Luca Hotze/Liam Branger (UCF) 6-3

Match Notes:
UCF 1-5
Nebraska 4-2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,6,2,3)
A-74