March 23, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Auburn's 19th-ranked men's tennis team saw its three-match winning streak come to an end Friday afternoon as the Tigers dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 7 Kentucky on the road at the Boone Tennis Complex.
Auburn (13-5, 2-3 SEC) is winless on the road in conference play in 2012 while Kentucky (17-4, 5-0 SEC) remained undefeated in league play this season.
Kentucky jumped on top early by winning the doubles point at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. The Wildcats' Tom Jomby and Alejandro Gomez struck the first blow with an 8-4 win over Lucas Lopasso and Rafael Rondino, and UK's Alex Musialek and Anthony Rossi clinched the point with an 8-6 win over Daniel Cochrane and Lukas Ollert.
Auburn's 13th-ranked duo of Alex Stamchev and Andreas Mies were leading the 17th-ranked team of Eric Quigley and Panav Jha 7-6 when play was halted.
In singles, Kentucky flexed its muscle of five nationally ranked players in their top five positions to secure the victory. The first win came at the No. 4 position as 101st-ranked Jomby downed Auburn's 100th-ranked Ollert, 6-3, 6-4, to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. It would be 3-0 after fifth-ranked Quigley handed 26th-ranked Mies a straight-set defeat, 7-5, 6-2, at the No. 1 position.
Cochrane would take 28th-ranked Rossi to a third set at the No. 3 singles position before falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, clinching the match for Kentucky.
The other three matches were unfinished. Stamchev was in a third set with Musialek at the No. 2 spot, Lopasso was up a set on Gomez on court five, and Michael Wardell was down a set to Grant Roberts at No. 6 singles when play was halted.
The Tigers will return home Sunday to face Vanderbilt in a 1 p.m. match at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. It is the "All Auburn, All Orange" match for men's tennis, and fans will receive a free pair of sunglasses while supplies last.
Auburn Men's Tennis
Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex - Lexington, Ky.
Friday, March 23, 2012
No. 7 Kentucky 4, No. 19 Auburn 0
Singles
1 - No. 5 Eric Quigley (UK) def. No. 26 Andreas Mies (AU) 7-5, 6-2
2 - No. 21 Alex Musialek (UK) vs. No. 95 Alex Stamchev (AU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-2 DNF
3 - No. 28 Anthony Rossi (UK) def. Dan Cochrane (AU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
4 - No. 101 Tom Jomby (UK) def. No. 100 Lukas Ollert (AU) 6-3, 6-4
5 - No. 99 Alejandro Gomez (UK) vs. Lucas Lopasso (AU) 4-6, 1-1 DNF
6 - Grant Roberts (UK) vs. Michael Wardell (AU) 6-2, 0-0 DNF
Doubles
1 - No. 17 Eric Quigley/Panav Jha (UK) vs. No. 13 Alex Stamchev/Andreas Mies (AU) 6-7 DNF
2 - Alex Musialek/Anthony Rossi (UK) def. Dan Cochrane/Lukas Ollert (AU) 8-6
3 - Tom Jomby/Alejandro Gomez (UK) def. Rafael Rondino/Lucas Lopasso (AU) 8-4
Order of Finish
Singles - 4, 1, 3*
Doubles - 3, 2*