AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn posted two home wins in men's tennis Friday, defeating Georgia State 4-1 and Samford 4-0 in matches at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
"The first match was a good test for us mentally and emotionally," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said. "Georgia State doesn't stop fighting whether they are ahead or behind; we can learn from that. We have to become a team that is so solid together that keeps competing until the last point. Our tennis could have been cleaner, but we've been inside a lot and the wind and cold makes a difference, but our guys handled it well.
"In the second match, I thought we played well, and mentally did some good things. I can see we're getting better."
Against Georgia State, Auburn started strong in doubles, as Diego Chavarria and Anders Fry ran their record to 10-1 for the spring with a 6-2 victory on court three over Patrick Lazo and Bailey Showers. The matches on courts one and two were tight, with the Panthers winning 7-5 on court two before Matteo DeVincentis and Tyler Stice won via tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3) on court one over No. 41-ranked Andrei Duarte and Roberts Grinvalds to clinch the doubles point for the Tigers.
In singles, freshman Tyler Stice posted the first win for Auburn with a 6-2, 6-2 victory on court two over Grinvalds, and senior Tim Dollman, playing on court one, was a 6-4. 7-5 winner over Quentin Coulaud to put the Tigers ahead 3-1.
Finn Murgett and Tom Wright each took his singles match to a third set, and Murgett prevailed 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 over Kevin Huynh on court four to clinch the victory.
Against Samford, Fry and Chavarria and Dollman and Stice, playing together in doubles for the first time this season, posted wins to give Auburn the doubles point for the 11th match this season. In singles, the Tigers got 6-2, 6-0 victories from Spencer Gray and Tom Wright before Tyler Stice clinched the match winning 6-2, 6-1 on court two.
Auburn is now 9-3 for the spring season, while Georgia State is 1-6 and Samford is 4-4.
Next Friday and Saturday, the Tigers will be part of the field in the 72nd annual Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in Montgomery, the final tune-up before SEC play begins. Those matches will take place at Lagoon Park and O'Connor Tennis Center; the men's field also includes Alabama, Arizona, Fresno State, Middle Tennessee State, Ole Miss, Princeton and Texas Tech.
Auburn 4, Georgia State 1
Singles
Tim Dollman (AUB) def. Quentin Coulaud (GSU) 6-4, 7-5
Tyler Stice (AUB) def. Roberts Grinvalds (GSU) 6-2, 6-2
Tom Wright (AUB) v Andrei Duarte (GSU) 3-6, 6-2, 4-5 unfinished
Finn Murgett (AUB) def. Kevin Huynh (GSU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
Spencer Gray (AUB) v Patrick Lazo (GSU) 5-7, 6-6 unfinished
Bailey Showers (GSU) def. Anders Fry (AUB) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
DeVincentis/Stice (AUB) def. #41 Duarte/Ginvalds (GSU) 7-6 (7-3)
Coulaud/K. Huynh (GSU) def. Wright/Murgett (AUB) 7-5
Diego Chavarria/Anders Fry (AUB) def. Lazo/Showers (GSU) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles: 3,2,1; Singles: 2,6,1,4; Time of match: 2:56; Official: Donna Jerome
Auburn 4, Samford 0
Singles
Tim Dollman (AUB) v Rossouw Norval (SAM) 6-6 unfinished
Tyler Stice (AUB) def. Eladio Fabregas (SAM) 6-2, 6-1
Tom Wright (AUB) def. M.A. Bellalouna (SAM) 6-2, 6-0
Spencer Gray (AUB) def. Max Rebol (SAM) 6-2, 6-0
Diego Chavarria (AUB) v Luke Andonov (SAM) 2-6, 4-3 unfinished
Michael Durham (AUB) v Tomas Sanantonio (SAM) 4-6, 1-1 unfinished
Doubles
Wright/Murgett (AUB) v Fabregas/Norval (SAM) 4-5 unfinished
Anders Fry/Chavarria (AUB) def. Bellalouna/Sanantonio (SAM) 6-4
Stice/Dollman (AUB) def. Rebol/Andonov (SAM) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles: 3,2; Singles: 4,3,2; Time of match: 1:40; Official: Donna Jerome