May 25, 2017
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn's outstanding doubles team of Conner Huertas del Pino and Max Hinnisdaels could not outlast UCLA's tandem of Martin Redlicki and Evan Zhu, the tournament's second-seeded duo, as the Tigers fell 6-3, 6-3 in the Round of 32 at the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships Thursday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
"Our guys played great today against a very strong UCLA doubles team that had half of the team (Redlicki) that won the NCAA doubles title last year," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said. "UCLA played high-percentage tennis, making a lot of first serves and not giving Max and Conner too many opportunities on the returns."
Entering the championships at No. 21 nationally in the Oracle/ITA doubles rankings, Auburn's senior duo of Huertas del Pino, from Lima, Peru, and Hinnisdaels, from Saint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium, went 12-9 this spring at No. 1 doubles, and 16-11 for the year.
This was the 17th time Auburn men's tennis has qualified a doubles team for the NCAA Championships; the last was Lukas Ollert and Marko Krickovic in 2015. Auburn's Mark Kovacs and Andy Columbo won the NCAA doubles title in 2002.