DEKALB, Ill. – Playing its final home match of the season on campus at the West Tennis Courts, the Northern Illinois University men's tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision to Western Michigan on Friday afternoon. Junior Bor Schweiger Muzar (Crnomelj, Slovenia/Gimnm) picked up the lone point for the Huskies with a victory in his singles match. 

NIU (9-10) played Western Michigan nearly even for the doubles point. Peter Kuszynski and Jack Randall earned a 6-3 win at number one doubles for the Broncos in the first match to finish. Muzar and freshman David Pata (Bucharest, Romania/Emil Racovita) then scored a 6-4 win over Jannik Opitz and Kennosuke Nouchi at number two for the Huskies.

The point came down to number three where the match went to a tiebreak, with Western Michigan's Lenhard Haupt and Nick Schnobel outlasting, NIU seniors Eric Marbach (Naperville, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and Erich Schuette (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius), 7-6 (5).  

In the singles, Haupt took a 6-2, 6-3 win at number two over Pata and Kuszynski was a 6-4, 6-1 victory over freshman Mikko Malinen (Malmo, Sweden) at number four to get the Broncos within a point of the match win. Western Michigan clinched the victory when Nouchi completed a 6-3, 6-2 win over sophomore Victor Spolidorio (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) at number six. 

At number three, Muzar scored a 6-1, 4-6, 10-4 decision over Matej Svjetlicic to improve to 13-12 on the season. 

NIU will compete again on Sunday afternoon, March 31, as the Huskies travel to Muncie, Ind., to meet Ball State. 

Western Michigan 6, NIU 1

Singles
1. Jannik Opitz (WMU) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 7-6, 7-5
2. Lenhard Haupt (WMU) def. David Pata (NIU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Bor Schweiger Muzar (NIU) def. Matej Svjetlicic (WMU) 6-1, 4-6, 10-4
4. Peter Kuszynski (WMU) def. Mikko Malinen (NIU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Nick Schnobel (WMU) def. Shao-Yu Yu (NIU) 6-2, 6-0
6. Kennosuke Nouchi (WMU) def. Victor Spolidorio (NIU) 6-3, 6-2

Doubles
1. Peter Kuszynski/Jack Randall (WMU) def. Mikko Malinen/Victor Spolidorio (NIU) 6-3
2. Bor Schweiger Muzar/David Pata (NIU) def. Jannik Opitz/Kennosuke Nouchi (WMU) 6-4
3. Lenhard Haupt/Nick Schnobel (WMU) def. Eric Marbach/Erich Schuette (NIU) 7-6 (5)