Huskies Clash with Purdue in Thrilling Season Opener!

Men’s Tennis | January 17

West Lafayette, Ind. – The Northern Illinois University men’s tennis squad commenced their 2025 season against Purdue on Friday, January 17. The Boilermakers triumphed over the Huskies with a score of 7-0.

“We showcased tremendous energy from the beginning to the end,” head coach René Vidal remarked. “In the doubles matches, we were right there, and the results in singles do not represent how tough we were individually. Our attention now turns to our upcoming match.”

In the doubles competition, Purdue secured the first point of the dual. In the #1 doubles match, Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (Pamplona, Spain) and NIU newcomer Federico Scotuzzi (Bergamo, Italy/North Alabama) were tied at 5-5 when doubles play was halted.

During singles, 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year Saul Berdullas (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) stood out in Huskie’s singles competition as he claimed the second set with a score of 6-4. Berdullas ultimately lost with scores of 4-6, 6-4, 3-10 in the third set tiebreak.

“We battled fiercely until the very last point,” NIU’s co-captains Arrastia and Berdullas stated. “We are proud of the team’s great energy, and we will rebound tomorrow to end the weekend on a strong note.”

The Huskies will return to the court on Saturday, January 18, as they head to Indianapolis to face IU Indy.

SCORES

NIU vs. Purdue

Official Tennis Tournament Outcomes January 17, 2025 at West Lafayette, IN.

Doubles

1. Aleksa Krivokapic and Maj Premzl (PUR) (In Progress) Iker Gaztambide Arrastia and Federico Scotuzzi (NIU) 5-5
2. JD Velasquez and Daniel Labrador (PUR) Def. Sam Klein and Saul Berdullas (NIU) 4-6
3. Stefan Simeunovic and Nour Fathalla (PUR) Def. Bo Suo Nan Chiao and Angus Howard (NIU) 2-6

SINGLES

1. Aleksa Krivokapic (PUR) def. Iker Gaztambide Arrastia (NIU) 6-4 6-2
2. Stefan Simeunovic (PUR) def. Saul Berdullas (NIU) vs 4-6 6-4 0-1
3. JD Velasquez (PUR) def. Bo Suo Nan Chiao (NIU) 6-2 7-5
4. Henrik Villanger (PUR) def. Federico Scotuzzi (NIU) 6-3 6-0
5. Nour Fathalla (PUR) def. Iker Dellien Velasco (NIU) 6-2 6-3
6. Maj Premzl (PUR) def. Sam Klein (NIU) 6-3 6-0

— NIU —