AUBURN, Ala. – No. 14 Auburn suffered its first home loss of the season in men's tennis, as No. 9 Georgia posted a 6-1 SEC win Saturday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
"Against a Top 10 team, you've got to be razor sharp and I don't think we were today," Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds said. "Playing a team like Georgia, we can't give up that many cheap points, whether it's not being ready to make calls or missing on the baseline. We've got to be more focused and intentional than we were today."
The Bulldogs were the victors in doubles, with a 6-1 win by Blake Croyder and Britton Johnston over Tyler Stice and Alejandro Moreno, and then a 6-4 victory by Teodor Giusca and Philip Henning over Jan Galka and Billy Blaydes.
Georgia carried that momentum into singles. No. 67 Blake Croyder topped Jan Galka on court four by a 6-3, 6-1 score, and Teodor Giusca downed Raul Dobai on court five by a 6-4, 6-1 margin. Ethan Quinn, the nation's fourth-ranked singles player, clinched the team win for Georgia with a 6-4, 6-3 straight set win over Auburn's top-ranked player (#103) Tyler Stice.
After the team match was clinched, Auburn freshman Billy Blaydes put the Tigers on the scoreboard with a three-set tiebreak win over Miguel Perez Pena by a 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 score, taking the tiebreaker by a 10-8 margin.
Auburn, with its highest team ranking since 2012, is now 11-3 for the spring season, 1-1 in SEC action and 7-1 at home. Georgia is 8-5 overall and 2-0 in SEC competition.
Auburn is on the road during the week ahead, with an SEC match Thursday at No. 18 Mississippi State and a Sunday contest at No. 62 Tulane.
The Tigers' next home match is Thursday, March 16, versus No. 5 Kentucky at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (1717 Richland Road, Auburn); admission is free.
#9 Georgia 6, #14 Auburn 1
Singles
#4 Ethan Quinn (UGA) def. #103 Tyler Stice (AU) 6-4, 6-3
Alejandro Moreno (AU) v #17 Philip Henning (UGA) def. Alejandro Moreno (AU) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
#115 Trent Bryde (UGA) def. Finn Murgett (AU) 6-3, 7-5
#67 Blake Croyder (UGA) def. Jan Galka (AU) 6-3, 6-1
Teodor Giusca (UGA) def. Raul Dobai (AU) 6-4, 6-1
Billy Blaydes (AU) def. Miguel Perez Pena (UGA) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8)
Doubles
#46 Murgett/Dobai (AU) v #19 Quinn/Bryde (UGA) 5-6 unfinished
Giusca/Henning (UGA) def. Galka/Blaydes (AU) 6-4
Croyder/Britton Johnston (UGA) def. Stice/Moreno (AU) 6-1
Time of match: 2:34; Order of finish: Doubles: 3,2; Singles: 4,5,1,3,6,2; Official: Donna Jerome