WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After starting the season 3-0, Auburn has suffered their first loss of the 2023 schedule to No. 10 Wake Forest in the first match of ITA Kickoff Weekend hosted by the Demon Deacons by a 4-0 final score.
In doubles play, two of Auburn's doubles teams came from behind to force a seven-point tiebreaker, but Tyler Stice and Alejandro Moreno ultimately lost the match on court three 7-6 (7-5). Finn Murgett and Raul Dobai were once again paired together as the Tigers' top doubles team on court one. With the seven-point tiebreaker deadlocked at 6-6, their match against Juan Lopez de Azcona and Filippo Moroni, the 30th ranked doubles team in the nation, was suspended as Wake Forest claimed the doubles point.
Murgett had some success against Wake Forest's Matthew Thompson on court five in singles, as he shut out Thompson 6-0 in the first set. Murgett dropped the second set 7-5 to force a third set, but the match was ultimately unfinished. Moreno also claimed his first set over Luciano Tacchi 7-5 and was headed to a third set when the match came to an end.
Auburn's Will Nolan, Jan Galka and Billy Blaydes all struggled in singles play, as they each dropped the first two sets in each of their respective matches.
The Tigers have an opportunity to bounce back tomorrow against another ranked opponent in the consolation match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend site in Winston-Salem. Auburn will face No. 19 Duke, which lost to Middle Tennessee earlier in the day, at noon CT.
Live video of the match will be available here and live stats will be available here.
#10 Wake Forest 4, #23 Auburn 0
Singles
Filippo Moroni (WFU) vs. #66 Tyler Stice (AUB) 7-6, 2-2, unfinished
Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. #110 Will Nolan (AUB) 6-2, 6-1
Luciano Tacchi (WFU) vs. Alejandro Moreno (AUB) 5-7, 4-1, unfinished
Jurabek Karimov (WFU) def. Jan Galka (AUB) 6-4, 6-2
Matthew Thomson (WFU) vs. Finn Murgett (AUB) 0-6, 7-5, unfinished
Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) def. Billy Blaydes (AUB) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
#30 Filippo Moroni/Juan Lopez de Azcona (WFU) vs. Finn Murgett/Raul Dobai (AUB) 6-6 (6-6), unfinished
Jurabek Karimov/Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Jan Galka/Billy Blaydes (AUB) 6-4
Matthew Thomson/Melios Efstathiou (WFU) def. Tyler Stice/Alejandro Moreno (AUB) 7-6 (7-5)
Time of match: 2:13; Order of finish: Doubles: 3,2; Singles 6,2,4