May 15, 2010
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The nationally-ranked Auburn men's tennis team opened up the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a 4-0 first-round victory over No. 55 Troy Saturday at the Ring Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville.
"With three weeks between the conference tournament and now, we were anxious to see how we would perform after that break," head coach Eric Shore said. "However, the team worked hard and had a solid start in doubles today. We need to pick it up a little more if we want success tomorrow."
With the win, the Tigers improve to 12-12 on the season and have won their fourth-straight NCAA opening round match, going back to the 2006-07 season. The Trojans conclude their year with a 20-5 overall record.
Auburn's nationally-ranked doubles pair in Tim Puetz and Alex Stamchev opened the morning with a win at No. 1 doubles. The tenth-ranked pair topped Luis Henrique Grangeiro and Mario Rolemberg, 8-2, to give the Tigers the advantage in doubles competition.
The No. 3 doubles team of freshmen Andreas Mies and Oliver Strecker put Auburn up 1-0 after clinching the win over Anas Rouchdi and Guilherme Sahadi. The two teams were tied at two apiece before the Tiger duo put together a three-point run to go up 5-2. Rouchdi and Sahadi, however, tied the match at five apiece, but Mies and Strecker rattled off the final three points to win by a score of 8-5.
Freshmen Tim Hewitt and Lucas Lopasso were battling Troy's Xavier Masson and Branko Weber at No. 2 doubles. The Auburn pair was up 8-7 when play was called.
Singles competition began with a quick, two-set victory for nationally-ranked Stamchev at No. 3 singles. The No. 105 player topped Weber, 6-0, 6-1, to give the Tigers the 2-0 lead. The victory improves Stamchev's overall singles mark to 12-6 on the season.
Auburn earned its third point after picking up a two-set win in No. 6 singles. Mies opened with a 6-1 first-set win over Sahadi and followed with a 6-2 victory in the second set. The Tigers sealed the team victory at No. 2 singles as Hewitt defeated Aurelien Tave in two sets, 6-0, 6-3.
A trio of matches was called at the conclusion of No. 2 singles. Sixteenth-ranked Puetz took the first set from Grangeiro at No. 1 singles and was ahead 4-3 in the second set, while Strecker took the first set, 6-4, over Rolemberg at No. 5 singles. Lopasso and Masson were locked at six apiece in the first set when play was called.
The Tigers face the winner of No. 6 Florida/South Carolina State at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
Against Troy - NCAA Regional First Round
Singles
1. No. 16 Tim Puetz (Auburn) vs. Luis Henrique Grangeiro (Troy); 6-4, 4-3 unf.
2. Tim Hewitt (Auburn) def. Aurelien Tave (Troy); 6-0, 6-3
3. No. 105 Alex Stamchev (Auburn) def. Branko Weber (Troy); 6-1, 6-0
4. Lucas Lopasso (Auburn) vs. Xavier Masson (Troy); 6-6 (5-1) unf.
5. Oliver Strecker (Auburn) vs. Mario Rolemberg (Troy); 6-4, 0-0 unf.
6. Andreas Mies (Auburn) def. Guilherme Sahadi (Troy); 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
1. No. 10 Tim Puetz/Alex Stamchev (Auburn) def. Luis Henrique Grangeiro/Mario Rolemberg (Troy); 8-2
2. Tim Hewitt/Lucas Lopasso (Auburn) vs. Xavier Masson/Branko Weber (Troy); 8-7 - Unfinished
3. Andreas Mies/Oliver Strecker (Auburn) def. Anas Rouchdi/Guilherme Sahadi (Troy); 8-5
Match Notes
Auburn - 12-12; National Ranking No. 31
Troy - 20-5; National Ranking No. 55
Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,6,2)