AUBURN, Ala. – No. 26 Auburn men's tennis finished the home portion of its schedule with a 4-1 win over #39 LSU Sunday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn. All-American Finn Murgett, all-SEC honoree Tyler Stice and Raul Dobai were recognized in ceremonies after the match.
"I think we came out a bit emotional in the doubles – rightfully so – and I was proud of how they bounced back after a bit of a slow start. You can see the fight that these guys have," said head coach Bobby Reynolds.
"It was a good way to cap off an amazing home season and, for Tyler, Finn and Raul, to cap off amazing careers. I'm very much indebted for the service they've provided to Auburn and where they've put us on the map. They've left this place a better program on and off the court. The credit goes to them and how the guys rally around them on and off the court and in the locker room.
"They will be missed, but we're not done yet. We're excited to begin the postseason and I think we're in a great position and playing really well coming down the stretch. That's ultimately what we're looking for in the conference tournament and on into the NCAAs."
LSU jumped ahead 1-0 in Sunday's match, posting a pair of doubles wins by a 6-3 score on courts one and two. In singles, senior Tyler Stice got Auburn off to a strong start on court one with a dominating 6-3, 6-4 win over Aleksi Lofman.
Fellow senior Finn Murgett gave Auburn a 2-1 lead with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alessio Vasquez on court two, and Alejandro Moreno posted a 6-4, 6-2 win over Chen Dong on court four.
Billy Blaydes clinched the match with a 7-5, 7-5 nailbiter against Rudy Ceccon on court four. Raul Dobai and Nicholas Heng were both in the third set when the match was clinched.
Auburn is now 17-9 and 7-5 in SEC action. LSU is 11-12 overall and 1-11 in conference play. The Tigers' next action is in the SEC men's tennis championship tournament April 17-21 in Baton Rouge, La. Pairings will be announced Sunday evening.
#26 Auburn 4, #39 LSU 1
Singles
#41 Tyler Stice (AU) def. Aleksi Lofman (LSU) 6-3, 6-4
#98 Finn Murgett (AU) def. Alessio Vasquez (LSU) 6-2, 6-4
Billy Blaydes (AU) def. Rudy Ceccon (LSU) 7-5, 7-5
Alejandro Moreno (AU) def. Chen Dong (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
Nicholas Heng (AU) v Julien Penzlin (LSU) 6-2, 5-7, 4-3 unfinished
Raul Dobai (AU) v Welsh Hotard (LSU) 1-6, 7-6 (2), 3-3 unfinished
Doubles
Dong/Penzlin (LSU) def. #23 Murgett/Dobai (AU) 6-3
Stefan Latinovic/Ben Koch (LSU) def. Will Nolan/Stice (AU) 6-3
Blaydes/Heng (AU) v Lofman/Hotard (LSU) 5-4 unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles: 1,2; Singles: 1,2,4,3; Time of match: 2:48; Official: Donna Jerome
Auburn men’s tennis tops LSU on Senior Day
