March 23, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 44 Auburn took four singles matches to a third set, but No. 49 Ole Miss prevailed for a 4-0 SEC men's tennis win Thursday afternoon at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in Oxford.
Olle Thestrup won his first set on court five, and he, Carles Sarrio (court two), Conner Huertas del Pino (court three) and Brandon Laubser (court six) all advanced to the third set before Ole Miss finished the match.
In doubles, Auburn's 18th-rated tandem of Max Hinnisdaels and Huertas del Pino upset No. 13 Fabian Fallert and Grey Hamilton 6-3, but Dante Saleh and Thestrup, who came back from a 5-1 deficit on court three to tie that match 5-5, fell 7-5 and Ole Miss claimed the doubles point.
"My hat goes off to Ole Miss. They came out with a sense of urgency," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said. "In singles and doubes we were just hanging on for dear life, hoping that they gave us a chance, and they didn't give us enough chances. It's a dangerous game when you hope for your opponent to give you the match, because at this level, not many of those are given out. We need to do a better job of playing matches on our terms from start to finish."
On Saturday, Auburn, now 11-8 and 2-3 in SEC action, visits Arkansas (10-8, 2-3) for a 6 p.m. SEC match at the Billingsley Tennis Center in Fayetteville. Ole Miss is now 7-6 (2-4 SEC).
In the latest Oracle/ITA rankings, Hinnisdaels and Huertas del Pino are No. 18 nationally in doubles, and Hinnisdaels is ranked No. 67 nationally in singles.
Auburn returns to home action Thursday, March 30, hosting No. 45 Tennessee in a 3 p.m. SEC match. All home matches are at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn) and admission is free.
Ole Miss 4, Auburn 0
Singles
#38 Gustav Hansson (UM) def. #67 Max Hinnisdaels (AU) 6-1, 6-1
Carles Sarrio (AU) vs. Rocardo Jorge (UM) 4-6, 6-3, 5-6 unfinished
Conner Huertas del Pino (AU) vs. Tim Sandkaulen (UM) 4-6, 6-4, 2-3 unfinished
Fabian Fallert (UM) def. Edward Nguyen (AU) 6-1, 6-4
Olle Thestrup (AU) vs. Filip Kraljevic (UM) 6-3, 4-6, 4-5 unfinished
Grey Hamilton (UM) def. Brandon Laubser (AU) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles
#18 Hinnisdaels/Huertas del Pino (AU) def. #13 Fallert/Hamilton (UM) 6-3
Zvonimir Babic/Jorge (UM) def. Nguyen/Laubser (AU) 6-2
Sandkaulen/Kraljevic (UM) def. Dante Saleh/Thestrup (AU) 7-5
Order of Finish: Doubles: 2,1,3; Singles: 1,4,6