March 25, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn men's tennis team split a doubleheader Sunday afternoon outdoors at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. No. 19 Vanderbilt was the 4-2 winner of an SEC match before Auburn defeated SWAC leader Alabama State 5-0 in the nightcap.
"In the first match, the doubles, if you could rewind and go again, getting that first point going into singles is so big. Trying to win four single matches is really, really tough," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said. "Obviously, I was happy with the success at one and two. Now it's just a matter of getting everyone on the same page in the matches.
"It shows the guys that they're there. They can beat any given guy on any given day. I was happy to see some of the matches, like Tad losing the first set and coming back and giving himself a chance. We just want to keep pushing guys to the limit. If you can keep pushing that limit, then I think in the long run we will be alright.
"We put in a good week of work and we will go back to it next week. I'm trying to get them to believe every point and every match matters. Obviously, in the later match, we went out and took care of what they needed and I'm happy with that."
Auburn got some terrific play in singles against Vanderbilt, as the Tigers came from behind to force a third set in three matches. At No. 1 singles, Edward Nguyen took down his highest ranked opponent, Vanderbilt's Cam Klinger, ranked No. 22 nationally. Nguyen dropped his first set 6-1, but captured the second 6-4, and, although down 4-1 in the third stanza, rallied to post a 6-4 win and take the match.
On court two, freshman Matteo De Vincentis, Auburn's only nationally ranked player in singles (No. 109), won in similar fashion over No. 56 Danny Valent, dropping the first set 4-6 before winning the next two 6-4, 6-1 to gain that point for the Tigers.
Vanderbilt took the doubles point with a 6-1 win on court three and a 6-4 victory on court one. Auburn's Tad Maclean and Lorenzo Rodriguez were leading 5-3 on court two, but their match went unfinished.
In the second match of the afternoon, Auburn worked quickly in doubles, as Nguyen and De Vincentis were 6-1 winners on court one and Tad Maclean and Lorenzo Rodriguez teamed for a 6-2 victory on court two to win the doubles point over Alabama State.
In singles, Rodriguez, Michael Durham, Brandon Laubser and De Vincentis posted straight set wins to give Auburn the 5-0 team victory.
The Tigers, now 10-12 in the spring season, are on the road next weekend with SEC matches at No. 25 Tennessee on Friday and at No. 14 Georgia on Sunday. Vanderbilt is now 15-4 and Alabama State is now 10-8.
Auburn closes the home regular season the following weekend hosting No. 36 Arkansas, No. 38 Ole Miss and Alabama A&M April 6 and 8. All Auburn home matches are held at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn), and admission is free.
#19 Vanderbilt 4, Auburn 2
Singles
Edward Nguyen (AU) def. #22 Cam Klinger (VU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
#109 Mateo De Vincentis (AU) def. #56 Danny Valent (VU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
#100 Baker Newman (VU) def. Olle Thestrup (AU) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
Billy Rowe (VU) def. Carles Sarrio (AU) 6-3, 7-5
Tad Maclean (AU) v Max Freeman (VU) 6-7 (4), 7-5, 0-3 unfinished
George Harwell (VU) def. Lorenzo Rodriguez (AU) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
#46 Klinger/Rowe (VU) def. Nguyen/De Vincentis (AU) 6-4
Rodriguez/Maclean (AU) v Lachlan McPhee/Panu Virtanen (VU) 5-3 unfinished
Newman/Harwell (VU) def. Sarrio/Diego Chavarria (AU) 6-1
Time of Match: 2:46; Order of Finish: Doubles: 3,1; Singles: 6,4,1,2,3; Official: Donna Jerome
Auburn 5, Alabama State 0
Singles
Edward Nguyen (AU) v Carl-Louis Luckmann (ASU) 6-3, 5-4 unfinished
#109 Matteo De Vincentis (AU) def. Tomas Fernandez (ASU) 6-3, 6-1
Carles Sarrio (AU) v Alexis Collard (ASU) 7-6 (4), 3-1 unfinished
Lorenzo Rodriguez (AU) def. Chris Andre (ASU) 6-4, 6-0
Brandon Laubser (AU) def. Alejo Calvis (ASU) 6-4, 6-1
Michael Durham (AU) def. Andrej Trajkovski (ASU) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles
Nguyen/De Vincentis (AU) def. Collard/Trajkovski (ASU) 6-1
Maclean/Rodriguez (AU) def. Fernandez/Luckmann (ASU) 6-2
Thestrup/Chavarria (AU) v Calvis/Andre (ASU) 5-2 unfinished
Time of match: 1:45; Order of Finish: Doubles: 1,2; Singles: 4,6,5,2; Official: Donna Jerome