March 3, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn men's tennis team (8-5) begins SEC play Sunday at home in a 1 p.m. match against No. 14 Mississippi State (7-3) at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. The Tigers entered the Oracle/ITA national rankings this week at No. 49.
"The guys fought hard from the beginning at the Blue Gray," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said about the Tigers' third-place finish at last weekend's Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery. "I think they will carry that momentum into the SEC season.
"They believe in what we've done and they are seeing it work, so going into the grind of facing an SEC opponent every week, we're ready to go. For us, it boils down to what we do well and trying to implement our style of play, instead of just reacting to the opponent. Sunday will be our first test against Mississippi State."
Auburn's tentative lineup for this weekend is: Singles: Max Hinnisdaels, Carles Sarrio, Conner Huertas del Pino, Edward Nguyen, Olle Thestrup, Brandon Laubser; Doubles: Hinnisdaels/Huertas del Pino, Nguyen/Laubser, Dante Saleh/Thestrup.
In the latest Oracle/ITA rankings, Hinnisdaels, the SEC player of the week, is No. 59 nationally in singles, improving 32 spots from the previous ratings. In doubles, Hinnisdaels and Huertas del Pino are No. 17 nationally.
Lucky fans at Sunday's match could receive free Auburn tennis t-shirts or koozies. All home matches are at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn) and admission is free.