ATHENS, Ga. – Auburn sophomore Hamza Nasridinov earned a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship, while the Tigers’ doubles team of Billy Blaydes and Freddy Blaydes received a slot in the NCAA Doubles Championship through the ITA South Sectional Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, this week.
“It was a great culmination to the fall,” Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds said. “To get Hamza through to the NCAA Tournament - he’s had an unbelievable fall, so I’m happy for him and all the hard work he’s put in. I’m happy with the way his game is progressing. The same with Billy and Freddy. To have brothers playing together, we’ve worked through differences throughout the fall, but they put it together when it mattered in sectionals and beat some great teams.
“We’re continuing to build, taking our opportunities when we have them and making the most of it. We’ll go back to work these next two weeks, focusing on some things we saw in sectionals to keep building for the future.”
Nasridinov began his run with a straight-set win over Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Irwanto on Thursday, followed by another in straight sets over Kentucky’s Charlelie Cosnet on Friday. In Saturday’s quarterfinal with a singles championship bid on the line, Nasridinov defeated No. 21 Aleksa Krivokapic of Purdue, 7-6 (6), 6-3, to earn the trip to the NCAA Singles Championship.
In doubles, Billy and Freddy Blaydes opened with a 7-5, 3-6, [10-5] win over Georgia’s Derrick Chen and Santiago Giamichelle on Thursday. The pair then prevailed in another third-set tiebreaker Friday, defeating Alabama’s Jacob Olar and Andrii Zimnokh, before closing out their bid with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Indiana’s Sam Landau and Facundo Yunis on Saturday afternoon.
This season marks the second trip to the NCAA Doubles Championship for Billy Blaydes, who competed in the 2024 tournament with Will Nolan.
In singles play, Billy Blaydes earned two wins over Purdue’s Nour Fathalla and No. 28 Jack Loutit of Kentucky to reach the quarterfinals before falling in both the quarterfinal and consolation rounds.
The three Tigers will compete in the 2025-26 NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships, set for Nov. 18-23 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Thursday Results:
Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Nour Fathalla (PUR) 6-3, 6-3
Hamza Nasridinov (AUB) def. Jonathan Irwanto (GT) 6-1, 6-2
#20 Billy Blaydes/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. #84 Derrick Chen/Santiago Giamichelle (UGA) 7-5, 3-6, [10-5]
Matteo Antonescu/Michael Andrew (IU) def. Joey Phillips/Nicholas Heng (AUB) 6-3, 7-5
Friday Results:
Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. #28 Jack Loutit (UK) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Hamza Nasridinov (AUB) def. Charlelie Cosnet (UK) 6-3, 6-4
#20 Billy Blaydes/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Jacob Olar/Andrii Zimnokh (ALA) 6-7 (0), 6-4, [10-8]
Joey Phillips/Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Luciano Alcocer/Yeray Andres Pastor (TROY) 6-4, 6-4
Saturday Results:
Matic Kriznik (ALA) def. Billy Blaydes (AUB) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Hamza Nasridinov (AUB) def. #21 Aleksa Krivokapic (PUR) 7-6 (6), 6-3
#20 Billy Blaydes/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Sam Landau/Facundo Yunis (IU) 6-2, 6-3
Joey Phillips/Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Arda Azkara/William Jansen (UGA) WO
Sunday Results:
Antonio Pratt (MIA) def. Billy Blaydes (AUB) 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
Nicholas Heng/Joey Phillips (AUB) def. #84 Derrick Chen/Santiago Giamichelle (UGA) WO