April 5, 2013
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AUBURN - Auburn's 27th-ranked men's tennis team earned its third win over a top-20 opponent in its last four matches with a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 12 Texas A&M on Friday night at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers (13-7, 5-5 SEC) earned their first 4-3 win of the year; the previous four contests that came down to the final match on had gone the opponents' way. Texas A&M (14-11, 4-5 SEC) was making its first visit to Auburn as an SEC member.
"It was a great senior night," Auburn head coach Eric Shore said. "I thought the guys brought energy the entire night. We played together as a team. I felt like we competed well. We're getting stronger as the year goes on. I just want them to enjoy this one tonight, it was for the seniors."
Sophomore Lukas Ollert, ranked No. 105 in the latest ITA rankings, provided the clinching point as he outlasted 93rd-ranked Shane Vinsant at the No. 4 spot in an epic three-set win, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4. Ollert was leading 5-2 in the third set and served for the match at 5-3, but had his serve broken. Vinsant then had a chance at 40-30 to square the set at 5-all, but Ollert fought back and won the match after the second deuce.
"What a match," Shore said. "He's had some great matches this year, that tough one against Alabama, then wins that match in the breaker against Vandy. He's learning from these matches."
Auburn took a 1-0 lead with a pair of big wins in doubles. Auburn's fifth-ranked tandem of Andreas Mies and Daniel Cochrane got the ball rolling with an 8-4 win over No. 11-ranked Junior Ore and Jackson Withrow at the top spot. But the Aggies rebounded with an 8-4 won at the third line as Jeremy Efferding and Jordan Szabo downed Ollert and Joseph Van Dooren.
Court two came down to a tiebreaker at 8-8, but Auburn's Lucas Lopasso and Dennis Lengsfeld pulled away early and clinched the 9-8 (4) win and the doubles point on an ace to close out the tiebreaker over 25th-ranked Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant.
Texas A&M knotted the score at 1-1 as Niall Angus defeated Van Dooren at the sixth singles spot, 7-6 (7), 6-3. But the Tigers fought back with wins on courts one and three. Lengsfeld defeated Adams at the third line by a 7-6 (5), 6-4 score, and 34th-ranked Mies gave Auburn a 3-1 lead as he battled back from an early deficit to down 40th-ranked Efferding, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The Aggies again tied things up with two matches finishing almost simultaneously. Behzad Minavi defated Lopasso in three sets at the fifth singles spot, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, and just moments later, Ore earned a win over Cochrane, 7-6 (5), 6-4, to tie the match at 3-3 and set up Ollert's big victory on court four.
Friday marked the final home match for seniors Lopasso, Mies and Michael Wardell.
"Great finish for them at home," Shore said. "I was happy for all three of them. They all contributed a lot tonight to the win. Andy wins both singles and doubles, Lopasso wins that breaker in doubles. It was a great night for them."
Auburn will close out the 2013 regular season next week with matches at No. 4 Georgia on Friday and No. 6 Tennessee on Sunday.
Auburn Men's Tennis Results
April 5, 2013
Yarbrough Tennis Center - Auburn, Ala.
#27 Auburn 4, #12 Texas A&M 3
Singles
1. #34 Andreas Mies (AU) def. #40 Jeremy Efferding (TAMU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Junior Ore (TAMU) def. #106 Daniel Cochrane (AU), 7-6 (5), 6-4
3. Dennis Lengsfeld (AU) def. Harrison Adams (TAMU), 6-4, 7-6 (3)
4. #105 Lukas Ollert (AU) def. #93 Shane Vinsant (TAMU), 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4
5. Behzad Minavi (TAMU) def. Lucas Lopasso (AU), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. Niall Angus (TAMU) def. Joseph Van Dooren (AU), 7-6 (7), 6-3
Order of finish: 6, 3, 1, 5, 2, 4
Doubles
1. #5 Andreas Mies/Daniel Cochrane (AU) def. #11 Junior Ore/Jackson Withrow (TAMU), 8-4
2. Dennis Lengsfeld/Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. #25 Harrison Adams/Shane Vinsant (TAMU), 9-8 (4)
3. Jeremy Efferding/Jordan Szabo (TAMU) def. Lukas Ollert/Joseph Van Dooren (TAMU), 8-4
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
Match Notes:
Auburn 13-7, 5-5 SEC; National ranking #27
Texas A&M 14-11, 4-5 SEC; National ranking #12
T - 4:10
Last home match for Lopasso, Mies, Wardell