March 29, 2013
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Auburn's 32nd-ranked men's tennis team remained unbeaten on the road in Southeastern Conference play this season, earning a 4-2 victory over No. 14 Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at the Currey Tennis Center.
The Tigers (12-6, 4-4 SEC) picked up their second straight win and third this season over a top-25 opponent and pulled back to .500 in conference play with a win over the Commodores (13-7, 4-4).
"That was a great college tennis match today," Auburn head coach Eric Shore said. "I'm really proud of the guys. They played hard the whole match, and they played as a team."
Auburn got off to a quick start with a pair of strong wins in doubles to take an early 1-0 lead. The team of Lukas Ollert and Joseph Van Dooren pulled away early and breezed to an 8-2 win over Vandy's Rhys Johnson and Jeff Offerdahl at the third doubles line. Auburn secured the point at the No. 2 position as Dennis Lengsfeld and Lucas Lopasso took care of Gonzales Austin and Suresh Eswaran, 8-5.
Once again, Auburn's No. 5-ranked team of Andreas Mies and Daniel Cochrane had victory in their sights - they led VU's Ryan Lipman and Marc van der Merwe 7-4 - but were unable to add another in the win column as the doubles matches were halted after Auburn clinched the point.
The Tigers made it a 2-0 advantage as Lengsfeld, after moving up to the No. 3 singles line this week, defeated Offerdahl in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. But the Commodores fought back at the top of the lineup. Austin, ranked No. 62 in singles, defeated Cochrane at the No. 2 spot, 6-3, 6-3, and the `Dores tied things up at 2-2 as 17th-ranked Lipman outlasted Mies at the top spot, 6-2, 7-6 (8).
But the bottom of the lineup came through for Auburn. Lopasso won an epic battle at the fifth singles position, winning two tiebreakers to defeat van der Merwe, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8). And 105th-ranked Ollert clinched the victory for the Tigers in thrilling fashion with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over Kris Yee at the No. 4 position.
Van Dooren won his first set over Johnson and was leading 5-4 in the second set when the match was halted.
Auburn will look to remain unbeaten in road SEC matches as they travel to Lexington, Ky., to face eighth-ranked Kentucky at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (noon CT) at the Boone Tennis Complex. Live stats will be available through UKAthletics.com.
Auburn Men's Tennis Results
March 29, 2013
Currey Tennis Center - Nashville, Tenn.
#32 Auburn 4, #14 Vanderbilt 2
Singles
1. #17 Ryan Lipman (VU) def. #34 Andreas Mies (AU), 6-2, 7-6 (10-8)
2. #62 Gonzales Austin (VU) def. #106 Daniel Cochrane (AU), 6-3, 6-3
3. Dennis Lengsfeld (AU) def. Jeff Offerdahl (VU), 6-2, 6-0
4. #105 Lukas Ollert (AU) def. Kris Yee (VU), 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. Marc van der Merwe (VU), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-8)
6. Joseph Van Dooren (AU) vs. Rhys Johnson (VU), 6-3, 5-4 unfinished
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1, 5, 4
Doubles
1. #5 Andreas Mies/Daniel Cochrane (AU) vs. Ryan Lipman/Marc van der Merwe (VU), 7-4 unfinished
2. Dennis Lengsfeld/Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. Gonzales Austin/Suresh Eswaran (VU), 8-5
3. Lukas Ollert/Joseph Van Dooren (AU) def. Rhys Johnson/Jeff Offerdahl (VU), 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 2
Match Notes
Auburn 12-6, 4-4 SEC, National ranking #32
Vanderbilt 13-7, 4-4 SEC, National ranking #14
T - 3:50