Despite winning the doubles point, the Auburn men's tennis team came up short in singles in a 4-1 loss to No. 15 Kentucky Sunday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Auburn captured the doubles point for the ninth time this season. Tom Wirght and Maxwell Giddens struck first with a 6-3 win over Millen Hurrion and Yasha Zemel, and the Tigers clinched the point behind a 6-4 victory by Jan Galka and Tyler Stice over Alexandre Leblanc and Liam Draxl.
The nationally ranked Wildcats took the first set in five of six singles matches; Auburn's Finn Murgett was the only Tiger to come out ahead in the first stanza by a 6-4 score over Mathis Moysen. Although Jan Galka and Tyler Stice forced tiebreakers for Auburn and Tim Dollman forced his match into a third set, Kentucky got four singles wins to take the match.
The Tigers (4-7, 1-3 SEC) are at Alabama next Friday for a 6 p.m. match before returning home to host Middle Tennessee State in non-conference action next Sunday at 11 a.m. Kentucky is now 12-3 in the spring (2-2 SEC).
All Auburn home tennis action is at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (1717 Richland Road, Auburn). Fans wearing face coverings are welcome to attend all matches played outdoors; fans may want to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating to remain socially distanced. If weather moves the match indoors, only participants and officials will be admitted.
Kentucky 4, Auburn 1
Singles
#45 Liam Draxl (UK) def. Tyler Stice (AU) 6-1, 7-6 (10-8)
Tim Dollman (AU) v Gabriel Diallo (UK) 4-6, 6-3, 1-2 unfinished
Millen Hurrion (UK) def. Tad Maclean (AU) 6-4, 6-3
Cesar Bourgois (UK) def. Jan Galka (AU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
Yasha Zemel (UK) def. Maxwell Giddens (AU) 6-3, 6-4
Finn Murgett (AU) v Mathis Moysen (UK) 6-4, 6-5 unfinished
Doubles
Tad Maclean/Finn Murgett (AU) v Cesar Bourgois/Gabriel Diallo (UK) 5-5 unfinished
Tom Wright/Maxwell Giddens (AU) def. Millen Hurrion/Yasha Zemel (UK) 6-3
Jan Galka/Tyler Stice (AU) def. Alexandre Leblanc/Liam Draxl (UK) 6-4
Time of match: 2:23; Order of finish: Doubles: 2,3; Singles: 3,4,1,5; Official: Donna Jerome