April 7, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - No. 50 Auburn lost a tightly contested SEC match 5-2 to LSU Friday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
"I was a little unhappy after the doubles," said Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds. "We fought to win four first sets, and that gave us a chance to win, but it's hard to win four singles matches in the SEC. Max was sick and coughing but he pulled out a win over a very good player in Daigle, so that says something about how he played.
"Our guys need to look in the mirror and know what they want to do with their backs against the wall. They need to know they want to come out with energy in doubles and to know how to play big points with pressure. I think that was really the deciding difference today."
Auburn won the first set of four singles matches. On court six, sophomore Brandon Laubser played through to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Eric Samuelsson, and senior Max Hinnisdaels, ranked No. 62 nationally, upset No. 44 Jordan Daigle on court one with a 6-4, 6-4 decision before LSU clinched the match.
LSU captured the doubles point with wins on courts one and two.
Auburn is now 12-11 and 3-6 in SEC action, while LSU is now 9-14 and 3-7 in SEC play.
Auburn entertains No. 7 Texas A&M (16-4, 9-0) Sunday at noon. Sunday's match will be Senior Day, as Max Hinnisdaels, Conner Huertas del Pino and Dante Saleh are honored. Saleh is a four-year letterman from Newport Beach, Calif., who has posted 86 wins during his career, 58 in singles and 28 in doubles. Hinnisdaels, from Rode, Belgium, is a former ITA Southern Region champion, and has won 106 matches during three seasons at Auburn, 64 in singles and 42 in doubles. Huertas del Pino is a two-year letterman from Lima, Peru, with 65 wins during his Auburn career, 30 in singles and 35 in doubles.
"I think our seniors will have a lot of emotions Sunday," Reynolds said. "Being their last match at home, they will play for themselves and play for Auburn and leave it all out there."
Fans will receive a variety of giveaways, including free t-shirts, koozies and sunglasses. All home matches are at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn) and admission is free.
LSU 5, Auburn 2
Singles
#62 Max Hinnisdaels (AU) def. #44 Jordan Daigle (LSU) 6-4, 6-4
#76 Justin Butsch (LSU) def. Carles Sarrio (AU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Gabor Csonka (LSU) def. Conner Huertas del Pino (AU) 6-3, 6-1
Nikola Samardzic (LSU) def. Olle Thestrup (AU) 6-4, 6-4
Rafael Wagner (LSU) def. Dante Saleh (AU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Brandon Laubser (AU) def. Eric Samuelsson (LSU) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
#39 Daigel/Butsch (LSU) def. #15 Hinnisdaels/Huertas del Pino (AU) 6-2
#90 Csonka/Saborio (LSU) def. Saleh/Thestrup (AU) 6-0
Laubser/Sarrio (AU) vs. Samuelsson/Moreno (LSU) 4-4 unfinished
Time of Match: 2:29; Order of Finish: Doubles: 2,1; Singles: 3,6,4,1,2,5