April 16, 2015
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Auburn upset nationally ranked entries in singles and doubles but the Tigers were unable to clinch the match, falling 4-2 to fifth-seeded Vanderbilt Thursday at the SEC men's tennis championships at Texas A&M.
Auburn started the contest winning the doubles point behind a 6-3 victory by Marko Krickovic and Max Hinnisdaels over the nation's eighth-ranked doubles tandem, Vanderbilt's Gonzalez Austin and Rhys Johnson. The Tigers clinched the point with a win at the third spot by Joseph Van Dooren and Dante Saleh over Suresh Eswaran and Jeffrey Offerdahl, 6-4.
Singles competition started with some fanfare as well, when Lukas Ollert (No. 85 nationally) defeated No. 8 Gonzalez Austin of the Commodores, 6-2, 6-4, the highest ranked player Ollert has defeated this season.
For Auburn, Hinnisdaels in the second spot, Van Dooren at five and Oliver Plaskett at six each took his match to three sets, but Vanderbilt's Eswaran outlasted Van Dooren 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, and the Commodores' Daniel Valent was a 6-7, 6-0, 6-1 winner over Hinnisdaels to clinch the match.
Auburn is now 15-13 on the season. Vanderbilt plays fourth-seed Ole Miss Friday at 3 p.m. CT in the quarterfinals of the SEC championship tournament at Texas A&M. Tournament action continues through Sunday.
#22 Vanderbilt 4, #64 Auburn 2
Singles:
Lukas Ollert (AUB) def. Gonzalez Austin (VU) 6-2, 6-4
Rhys Johnson (VU) def. Marko Krickovic (AUB) 6-4, 6-4
Daniel Valent (VU) def. Max Hinnisdaels (AUB) 6-7, 6-0, 6-1
Kris Yee (VU) def. Dante Saleh (AUB) 6-2, 7-6
Suresh Eswaran (VU) def. Joseph Van Dooren (AUB) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
Oliver Plaskett (AUB) vs. Baker Newman (VU) unfinished, 7-6, 3-6, 3-1
Doubles:
Marko Krickovic/Max Hinnisdaels (AUB) def. Gonzalez Austin/Rhys Johnson (VU) 6-3
Lukas Ollert/Oliver Plaskett (AUB) vs. Pen Binet/Baker Newman (VU) unfinished, 5-4
Joseph Van Dooren/Dante Saleh (AUB) def. Suresh Eswaran/Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) 6-4
Match Notes: Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3); Singles (1, 2, 5, 4, 3) Time: 3:00