April 15, 2006

DeKalb, IL -- This was a tough weekend for the Northern Illinois University men's tennis team and coach Pontus Hiort.

For the second straight day, the Huskies battled to the bitter end of a Mid-American Conference match. For the second straight day, the last two singles matches had to be decided in three sets. For the second straight day, the last outcome in singles play went in favor of the visitors. For the second straight day, NIU lost a 4-3 battle, with Saturday's (April 15) winner being the University of Toledo Rockets.

Just like Friday's (April 14) 4-3 loss to the University at Buffalo, Northern Illinois failed to capture the doubles point and splitting the singles contests simply wasn't enough to keep UT from improving 15-8 overall and 3-1 in league play. The Huskies now find themselves on a four-game losing streak with a 4-12 overall mark and 1-3 loop record.

"We're so close," Hiort insisted. "I certainly can't fault their effort, especially considering they were coming back 11 hours after a heartbreaking loss. We played better in doubles against a good team. Once again, we had a few guys pick up their efforts and hopefully they'll become even more confident. We're actually playing a little more consistent and smarter. We just need to continue to work on not giving up easy points."

Diego Zegarra-Ballon (Lima, Peru / Markham College Prep) and Adam Ford (Grand Rapids, MI / Forest Hills Central) posted an 8-4 win in the No. 3 doubles slot, but UT's Rockets were 8-6 winners at No. 1 and 8-1 victors at the No. 2 position in order to claim the doubles point.

Both Zegarra-Ballon and Ford completed an unbeaten weekend in singles as they posted triumphs at No. 5 and 3, respectively. Ford made a stellar showing after a 6-3 first-set loss by reversing that outcome in the second set and then winning the decisive third-set by a 6-2 tally. At No. 5 singles, Zegarra-Ballon was a 6-2, 6-4 victor. In the No. 1 singles match, NIU's Brian Livingston (Skokie, IL / Niles North) posted a 6-2, 7-5 triumph in bounce back effort after losing a three-set marathon on Friday against Buffalo.

Saturday's pivotal match came in the No. 2 singles slot where Toledo's Tony Tran and NIU's Alex Friesen (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada / Burnaby Central) traded 7-6 tiebreaker victories before Tran prevailed by a 6-2 margin in the third set.

Northern Illinois hopes to end its skid on Wednesday (April 19) when Chicago State University visits for a 3 p.m. non-conference meeting before the Huskies conclude the regular-season slate hosting perennial MAC powerhouse Ball State University in a Saturday (April 22) 1 p.m. tangle.

MEN'S COLLEGIATE TENNIS -- University of Toledo at Northern Illinois University / at DeKalb, IL / NIIU's West Campus Tennis Courts / Mid-American Conference dual / Saturday / April 15, 2006

TOLEDO 4, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3 (at DeKalb, IL / NIU's West Campus Tennis Courts) Doubles: No. 1 -- Mohammed Al Nabhani / Tony Tran (UT) def. Brian Livingston / Alex Friesen (NIU) 8-6 No. 2 -- Travis Curran / Brian Rager (UT) def. David Katz / Alex Monroy (NIU) 8-1 No. 3 -- Diego Zegarra-Ballon / Adam Ford (NIU) def. Wade Ward / Jared Miller (UT) 8-4 Singles No. 1 -- Brian Livingston (NIU) def. Mohammed Al Nabhani (UT) 6-2, 7-5 No. 2 -- Tony Tran (UT) def. Alex Friesen (NIU) 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 No. 3 -- Adam Ford (NIU) def. Chris Clark (UT) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 No. 4 -- Jared Miller (UT) def. David Katz (NIU) 6-3, 6-2 No. 5 -- Diego Zegarra-Ballon (NIU) def. Josh Moran (UT) 6-2, 6-4 No. 6 -- Travis Curran (UT) def. Alfonso Monroy (NIU), 6-0, 6-2

Records to Date: NIU now 4-12 overall, 1-3 in the MAC / UT now 15-8 / 3-1 in the MAC Next Huskie Matches: Wednesday / April 19 -- Chicago State University at Northern Illinois University, 3 p.m. Saturday / April 22 -- Ball State University at Northern Illinois University, 1 p.m. (For further information, please contact Steve Nemeth) --NIU--