AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn is set to host two SEC opponents and a non-conference match this week at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama. The Tigers will face No. 18 Oklahoma on Thursday at noon CT followed by Belmont at 5 p.m. CT. On Saturday, Auburn will finish the weekend with another SEC match against Ole Miss at 11 a.m. CT.
“It’ll be good to be back home and this season we have played really well at home,” said Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds. “Oklahoma is going to come out with fire. They try to bring a tough environment with them to every single match. They’ve been great this year in doubles and have been very successful at their No. 4 and No. 5 positions. We’ve never come across them in a dual match so it will be a first for us, but we know that if we can take their legs out in the doubles, it will set us up well for the singles.
“If you look at Ole Miss, they are the opposite. They’ve struggled in the doubles point but have been successful in coming back to win four singles matches often in SEC play. It’s a credit to them for not always getting that first emotional point but being able to reset and find success in singles.”
Auburn struggled during its trip to both of the conference’s Texas schools last week, dropping both matches to No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 4 Texas. Freshman Alex Frusina was a bright spot for the Tigers, as he picked up two ranked singles wins and helped clinch the doubles point in a tiebreaker against Texas A&M.
After losing the first set to No. 45 JC Roddick on Thursday, Frusina came back to win the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 which tied the team score at two at the time. On Sunday, Frusina defeated No. 13 Sebastian Gorzny for his highest ranked singles win of the season. With the second set tied at five, Frusina earned a crucial break and held in the next game to win the match in straight sets.
Auburn holds a 10-6 overall record this season and is 2-4 in conference matches. The team appeared at No. 39 in the latest ITA National Team Rankings that were released on Tuesday.
Oklahoma will enter Thursday’s first ever meeting against Auburn with a 10-4 overall this season and with a 3-2 record in SEC matches. In their first season in the conference, the Sooners have posted wins over Arkansas, Tennessee and Florida but have dropped matches to Texas A&M and Mississippi State.
Oscar Lacides, ranked No. 76 nationally, has been the regular No. 1 singles player for Oklahoma this season, posting a 9-4 dual match record. Lacides and Bruno Nhavene have had a good season for the Sooners so far, posting a 12-3 overall record and a 4-2 record at the top doubles position. The duo has a national doubles ranking of No. 39.
Auburn second opponent of the day on Thursday, Belmont, holds a 6-8 overall record this season but has won each of its last two matches over Lipscomb and Mercer. The Tigers won their only other meeting against the Bruins in 2017 by a 4-0 score.
Ole Miss currently holds an 11-4 overall record and a 2-3 mark in SEC matches. The Rebels will face No. 21 Tennessee in Knoxville on Thursday before facing Auburn on Saturday. Last week at home, Ole Miss posted a 4-3 win over No. 21 Alabama before being shut out by South Carolina 0-4.
Both the singles and doubles lineups have fluctuated for Ole Miss this season. Freshman Matthieu Chambonniere has been consistent for the Rebels this season in the bottom portion of the singles lineup, posting an 11-2 dual record this season.
Admission to all three matches at the Yarbrough Tennis Center will be free. Fans in attendance on Thursday will receive a free Auburn Tennis T-shirt while supplies last. For Saturday’s match against Ole Miss, the first fans in attendance will have the opportunity to enjoy free Moe’s Original BBQ while supplies last.
Live video and live scoring of each match will be available online at AuburnTigers.com and the Auburn Tigers app.