Oct. 18, 2012
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AUBURN - The Auburn men's tennis team won three matches on the opening day of the 2012 USTA/ITA Southern Regional, which got underway with first- and second-round singles and doubles play Thursday at the City of Auburn/Auburn University Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers posted a 3-3 overall mark on the day, going 3-2 in the singles main draw and dropping their only doubles match of the afternoon. A total of 47 matches took place Thursday, featuring 75 players from 10 schools.
All five Auburn individuals had first-round byes. Newcomer Lucian Gheorghe, a transfer from Tulsa, picked up a win in his first match as a Tiger to open the day with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Troy's Andre Stabile. Senior Lucas Lopasso, seeded 10th in the singles draw, also advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Alabama's Brian Conlon. And sophomore Lukas Ollert moved into the second round as well, defeating Mississippi State's Zach White, 7-6 (1), 6-1.
Senior Andreas Mies, the defending tournament champion and second overall seed, will fall short of defending his title after dropping his second-round match to Mississippi State's Romain Bogaerts, 6-4, 7-5. Likewise, senior Michael Wardell fell in his singles opener, dropping a 6-4, 6-2 decision to Samford's Fares Kilani.
In doubles, the team of Ollert and Wardell could not hold onto an early lead and dropped a 9-8 (5) heartbreaker to Vasco Valverde and Paulo Alvarado of Southern Miss.
Friday's action will begin with third-round play in the singles main draw. Lopasso will square off with Samford's Austin Akers, Gheorghe will face fifth-seeded Malte Stropp of Mississippi State, and Ollert is scheduled to play Ole Miss' 15th-seeded Stefan Lindmark. All three matches are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
In the consolation singles draw, Mies will play at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of an early-morning match between Cedric Rutsaert (Tulane) and Andres Sanches (Troy). Wardell will play at the same time, facing either Paulo Alvarado (Southern Miss) or Mansingh Athare (Auburn). Both of those matches, along with the rest of Friday's play in the consolation draw, will take place at the Auburn University Intramural Courts, located off Biggio Drive behind the Student Activities Center.
And in doubles, the team of Lopasso and Mies - who received a first-round bye - will play Troy's team of Josh Dogar-Hurd and Andres Sanchez at 4 p.m.
The tournament continues through Monday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. Play gets underway at 8:30 a.m. Friday, and admission is free.
Auburn Men's Tennis Results
USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships
October 18, 2012
Main Draw Singles - Second Round
(10) Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. Brian Conlon (Alabama), 6-3, 6-1
Lucian Gheorghe (AU) def. Andre Stabile (Troy), 6-3, 6-3
Lukas Ollert (AU) def. Zach White (MSU), 7-6 (1), 6-1
Fares Kilani (Samford) def. Michael Wardell (AU), 6-4, 6-2
Romain Bogaerts (MSU) def. (2) Andreas Mies (AU), 6-4, 7-5
Main Draw Doubles - First Round
Vasco Valverde/Paulo Alvarado (USM) def. Lukas Ollert/Michael Wardell (AU), 9-8 (5)