AUBURN, Ala. – Picking up a 4-1 win over Fresno State Saturday evening, the Auburn men's tennis team went 1-2 in action at the 71st Blue Gray National Tennis Classic over the weekend in Montgomery.
Against the FSU Bulldogs, the Tigers captured the doubles point with 6-1 wins by Brandon Laubser and Tad Maclean on court one and by Matteo DeVincentis and Tim Dollman on court two. Auburn followed that early lead up with singles wins by Dollman, Laubser and DeVincentis to clinch the match.
Friday morning, Auburn faced eventual tournament champion No. 38 Arizona in the opening round. In court one doubles, Laubser and Maclean defeated the Wildcats' top tandem of Carlos Hassey and Jonas Ziverts 6-2, but Arizona took the doubles point and posted three singles victories for the 4-0 team win. Dollman, playing on court five, was the only Auburn player to win a set (7-5) against Arizona.
The second round began Friday afternoon, with doubles play between Auburn and Rice. The Owls won the doubles point, but Saturday, Auburn battled back to split the singles points. Auburn got straight-set wins from Tad Maclean on court three, Tim Dollman on court four and Michael Durham on court five. The match was decided on court six, where freshman Anders Fry battled back from a 6-1 defeat in the first set to win a second-set tiebreaker 7-5 and force a third frame, where Rice prevailed 6-3 to clinch the 4-3 team win.
Auburn is now 10-6 on the season and will open SEC play this weekend. The Tigers host Texas A&M Friday at 3 p.m., and entertain No. 20 LSU Sunday at noon. Auburn will also face Tennessee Tech Sunday at 5 p.m. All Auburn home tennis action is at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn) and admission is free.
#38 Arizona 4, Auburn 0
Singles
Jonas Ziverts (UA) def. Matteo DeVincentis (AU) 7-6 (7), 6-2
Filip Malbasic (UA) def. Filippo Mora (AU) 6-1, 6-0
Brandon Laubser (AU) v Igor Karpovets (UA) 6-7, 3-4 unfinished
Alejandro Reguant (UA) def. Tad Maclean (AU) 6-3, 6-2
Tim Dollman (AU) v Carlos Hassey (UA) 7-5, 2-6 unfinished
Michael Durham (AU) v Jonas Maier (UA) 0-6, 6-6 unfinished
Doubles
Laubser/Maclean (AU) def. Hassey/Ziverts (UA) 6-2
Malbasic/Reguant (UA) def. DeVincentis/Mora (AU) 6-3
Maier/Karpovets (UA) def. Anders Fry/Diego Chavarria (AU) 6-3
Rice 4, Auburn 3
Singles
Sumit Sarkar (RU) def. Matteo DeVincentis (AU) 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
Jacob Eskeland (RU) def. Brandon Laubser (AU) 6-3, 6-2
Tad Maclean (AU) def. Mohamed Abdel-Aziz (RU) 6-2, 6-0
Tim Dollman (AU) def. Conrad Russell (RU) 7-5, 6-0
Michael Durham (AU) def. Adam Oscislawski (RU) 6-4, 6-0
Campbell Salmon (RU) def. Anders Fry (AU) 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3
Doubles
#49 Sarkar/Eric Rutledge (RU) def. Laubser/Maclean (AU) 6-2
Eskeland/Daniel Warren (RU) def. DeVincentis/Dollman (AU) 6-1
Fry/Diego Chavarria (AU) v Abdel-Aziz/Salmon (RU) 5-4 unfinished
Auburn 4, Fresno State 1
Singles
Matteo DeVincentis (AU) def. Zdenek Derkas (FSU) 6-3, 6-3
Brandon Laubser (AU) def. Mantas Bugailiskis (FSU) 6-0, 6-4
Tad Maclean (AU) v Angus Bradshaw (FSU) 7-6, 4-3 unfinished
Tim Dollman (AU) def. Cagatay Soke (FSU) 6-1, 6-2
Michael Durham (AU) v Cem Erturk (FSU 3-6, 5-6 unfinished
Henrique Osorio (FSU) def. Anders Fry (AU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
Laubser/Maclean (AU) def. Bradshaw/Bugailiskis (FSU) 6-1
DeVincentis/Dollman (AU) def. Erturk/Derkas (FSU) 6-1
Fry/Diego Chavarria (AU) v Soke/Patrick Pech (FSU) 3-4 unfinished