OMAHA, Neb. – The Northern Illinois University men's tennis team opened its final non-conference weekend on a positive note as the Huskies downed Creighton, 6-1, on Friday afternoon at the Hanscom Tennis Courts With the win, the Huskies improve to 10-4 on the season. 

After splitting the first two doubles matches to finish, NIU took the third match to win the first point of the day. Seniors Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium) and Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) opened doubles play with a 6-3 win over Brooks Kendall and Armando Gandini at number three. Creighton won the match at number two before sophomore Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) and senior Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) outlasted Alex Koca and Stratton Brown, 7-5, at number one to take the point. 

In singles play, the Huskies took the only two matches to finish in straight sets to take a 3-0 lead. Hamel topped Koca, 6-3, 6-2, at number four while Muzar earned a 7-5, 6-3 win over Daniel Lopez-Rey at number five. 

Lundkvist clinched the match win for the Huskies with his 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 victory at number three over Gandini. 

Creighton took the match at number two before freshman Kristopher Ortega (Homer Glen, Ill./Seton Home Study School) picked up his ninth dual match win, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, over Kendall at number one and Hjertonsson scored a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Jose Oscar Diaz at number six. 

NIU will finish the weekend, and its non-conference slate, on Saturday, March 3, when the Huskies take on Nebraska in Lincoln at 6 p.m. 

NIU 6, Creighton 1

Singles
1. Kristopher Ortega (NIU) def. Brooks Kendall (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6
2. Stratton Brown (CU) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Armando Gandini (CU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Alex Koca (CU) 6-3, 6-2
5. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Daniel Lopez-Rey (CU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. Jose Oscar Diaz (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5

Doubles
1. Bor Schweiger Muzar/Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Alex Koca/Stratton Brown (CU) 7-5
2. Mac Mease/Daniel Lopez-Rey (CU) def. Eric Marbach/Kristopher Ortega (NIU) 6-4
3. Tom Hjertonsson/Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Brooks Kendall/Armando Gandini (CU) 6-3