By Nate Tenopir, Sports Editor
Men’s tennis went from peaks to valleys in midweek action, sweeping Concordia 7-0 then facing defeat by the same margin in a 7-0 loss to Creighton. Wednesday the Mavs rolled, winning all singles and doubles matches en route to the sweep of Concordia. Less than 24 hours later the tables were turned, and it was Creighton getting the clean sweep against UNO.
In Wednesday’s victory, each doubles team won their matches by identical 8-4 scores and the Mavs won every singles match in straight sets. Carlos Ramos Salazar won the top singles spot 6-3, 6-1, Anthony Forcucci won the two spot 6-4, 6-1 and Brandon Otoski took the no. 3 matchup 6-3, 6-4.
Otoski was one of three Mavs not normally in the lineup that saw action on Wednesday. Teammate Eric Busskohl, who hasn’t had an appearance this season, won the five matchup 6-1, 7-5, and Mike Hupf, who hasn’t competed since last fall, won the six spot 6-1, 6-1.
Otoski’s appearance was just his second of 2012. His only other performances were losses in singles and doubles to South Dakota State on Feb. 10.
Andrew Lescelius rounded out singles, taking the no. 4 spot 6-1, 6-0. In doubles, Ramos Salazar teamed up with Peter Greteman, Forcucci and Connor Larson were in the second spot and Nathan Greteman and Ben Williams had the third spot.
Those pairings were the same ones head coach Mike Saniuk sent out Thursday against Creighton. But unlike the day before, the three doubles teams failed to win any matches, giving away the doubles point to Creighton.
Larson and Forcucci came closest, losing 8-5. Ramos Salazar and Peter Greteman lost 8-1 and Nathan Greteman and Ben Williams were defeated 8-4.
UNO didn’t fare much better in singles, going down in straight sets in all but one match. Ramos Salazar failed to win any games in the first spot, Forcucci dropped the two spot 6-2, 6-3 and Larson fell 6-1, 6-4.
Peter Greteman went down 6-4, 6-1 at no. 4 and Williams lost the fifth position 6-3, 6-1. Nathan Greteman started in the sixth spot and seemed to be on track to get the Mavs at least one point.
Greteman won the first set easily 6-1, but then dropped the second 6-4. In the 10-point third set tiebreaker Nathan Greteman was competitive, but fell 10-7.
UNO’s matches with Concordia and Creighton were the Mavs final appearances in Omaha this season. The team will face their final five opponents on the road.
UNO will take on those five opponents in four consecutive days. The final push starts with a match at Western Illinois on Monday, two on Tuesday at Bradley and Lindenwood, a Wednesday matchup with Missouri-St. Louis and then ends at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Thursday.
