AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn started the spring portion of its schedule perfect on Sunday, picking up two 7-0 wins over Samford and Alabama State during a doubleheader at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. The first dual match of the season was played indoors due to cold weather while the second match was able to be played outdoors.
"I think the biggest part of these first couple of matches is getting our feet wet with getting out there, running around and getting the cobwebs off," Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds said after the two victories. "I thought we did a really good job with that along with playing inside and outside which is a tough transition."
In the first dual match of the season against Samford, Auburn got off to a hot start in doubles by claiming the doubles point due to 6-1 and 6-3 wins on courts two and three, respectively.
In singles, Will Nolan earned his eighth singles win of the season with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over J.B. Pickard. Sophomore Billy Blaydes and fifth-year senior Finn Murgett each won their matches in straight sets to clinch the match win for the Tigers before redshirt freshman Nicholas Heng picked up the first dual match victory of his career over Will Gray on court six 6-0, 6-2. After Heng's match concluded, No. 58 Tyler Stice defeated Maxwell Giddens 6-3, 6-2 on court one and Alejandro Moreno earned a two-set victory on court three to finish off the 7-0 shutout of the Bulldogs.
The warm weather allowed the second match of the Sunday doubleheader to be played on the outdoor courts at the Yarbrough Tennis Center, where the Tigers continued to shine. Stice and Heng became doubles partners for the first time ever and recorded a quick 6-1 victory on court three to get Auburn off to a fast start during the doubles point. With the score staying within one game for much of the match, Raul Dobai and Billy Blaydes pulled away to defeat David Jeanne Grandinot and Matteo Lataste 6-4 and pick up the doubles point.
Heng impressed on court six to open singles play, earning a dominant 6-0, 6-0 win over Lun Obrul. Stice also picked up a commanding 6-1, 6-1 win over Kristopher Johnson to push Auburn's lead to 3-0. Blaydes and Nolan both won their matches in straight sets to leave two matches remaining on courts one and three. Both Moreno and Dobai were involved in tight second sets, but each prevailed in tiebreakers to give the Tigers another 7-0 victory.
"I was happy with how they came out with energy in the doubles and how that carried into the singles during both matches," continued Reynolds. "I think we need to be a bit tougher when it comes to breaking our opponent and then getting broken right back because as we play against opponents we're going to see in conference, we aren't going to be able to get away with that."
Up next, Auburn will host another doubleheader against Tulane and Alabama A&M on Saturday, January 20th at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. The first match with Tulane is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT and the second is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT.
Auburn 7, Samford 0
Singles Results:
1. #58 Tyler Stice (AUB) def. Maxwell Giddens (SAM) 6-3, 6-2
2. Finn Murgett (AUB) def. Sandeep Mahandoss (SAM) 6-0, 6-2
3. Alejandro Moreno (AUB) def. Darcy Nicholls (SAM) 7-5, 6-3
4. Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Maksim Bogdanovich (SAM) 6-2, 6-0
5. Will Nolan (AUB) def. J.B. Pickard (SAM) 6-1, 6-0
6. Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Will Gray (SAM) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles Results:
1. Maxwell Giddens/Sandeep Mahandoss (SAM) vs. Finn Murgett/Raul Dobai (AUB), unfinished
2. Will Nolan/Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Maksim Bogdanovich/J.B. Pickard (SAM) 6-1
3. Tyler Stice/Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Darcy Nicholls/Will Gray (SAM) 6-3
Time of match: 2:09; Order of finish: Doubles: 2,3; Singles: 5,4,2,6,1,3; Official: Donna Jerome
Auburn 7, Alabama State 0
Singles Results:
1. #58 Raul Dobai (AUB) def. David J Grandinot (ALST) 6-3, 7-6 (7)
2. Tyler Stice (AUB) def. Kristofer Johnson (ALST) 6-1, 6-1
3. Alejandro Moreno (AUB) def. Alexandre Verlaguet (ALST) 6-1, 7-6 (4)
4. Will Nolan (AUB) def. Matis Amier (ALST) 6-3, 6-2
5. Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Matteo Lataste (ALST) 6-1, 6-4
6. Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Lun Obrul (ALST) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles Results:
1. Billy Blaydes/Raul Dobai (AUB) def. David J Grandinot/Matteo Lataste (ALST) 6-4
2. Alejandro Moreno/Will Nolan (AUB) vs. Matis Amier/Alexandre Verlaguet (ALST) 5-3, unfinished
3. Tyler Stice/Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Sam Bajracharya/Lun Obrul (ALST) 6-1
Time of match: 2:29; Order of finish: Doubles: 3,1; Singles: 6,2,5,4,3,1; Official: Donna Jerome
