ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men’s tennis team wrapped up the weekend with a 4-3 victory over Saint Louis on Saturday afternoon at the Boylan Tennis Center as the Huskies improved to 5-3 on the season. Sophomores Tom Hjertonsson (Gothenburg, Sweden/Akademi Båstad Gymnasium), Georg Lundkvist (Linkoping, Sweden/Lindkopings Kommun) and Austin Russell (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) recorded singles victories for the Huskies.

“We're happy to make it through the weekend,” said NIU head coach Patrick Fisher. “We're just trying to hang in there until we can get healthy and start to get into some kind of consistent rhythm with this team. In the meantime, I could not be more proud of how hard our guys are fighting.”

NIU opened the day by earning the doubles point with wins at two and three. Lundkvist and Kevin Daun (Vasteras, Sweden/Widenska Gymnasiet Idrottscollege) claimed a 6-4 victory at number two while Hjertonsson and Louis-Philippe Hamel (Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) were 6-2 winners at number three.

In singles action, Hjertonsson cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory at number three over John Nogalski to complete a perfect 3-0 weekend in singles play. Lundkvist also picked up a relatively comfortable, 6-2, 6-3 win playing at number two over Juan Calero.

The Huskies clinched the victory when Russell completed a 6-4, 7-6 win at number five over Paarth Dodhiawala for his second singles win of the weekend.

NIU will be in action at home again next weekend, beginning on Friday, Feb. 12, as the Huskies host Illinois State (12 p.m.) and Nebraska Omaha (4 p.m.) at Boylan Tennis Center in Rockford.

NIU 4, Saint Louis 3

Doubles
1. Carlos Manzanas/Austin Russell (NIU) vs. Juan Calero/John Nogalski (SLU), 5-5 unfinished
2. Georg Lundkvist/Kevin Daun (NIU) def. Charlie Parry/David Ferragut (SLU), 6-4
3. Tom Hjertonsson/Louis-Philippe Hamel (NIU) def. Paarth Dodhiawala/Oscar Pachon (SLU), 6-2

Singles
1. David Ferragut (SLU) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
2. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) def. Juan Calero (SLU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) def. John Nogalski (SLU), 6-1, 6-2
4. Charlie Parry (SLU) def. Kevin Daun (NIU), 6-3, 6-4
5. Austin Russell (NIU) def. Paarth Dodhiawala (SLU), 6-4, 7-6
6. Brandon Harris (SLU) def. Erich Schuette (NIU), 6-2, 6-2