AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn men’s tennis will continue its nonconference schedule Friday, facing Clemson in a road match at 4 p.m. CT at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility in Clemson, South Carolina. The match was originally scheduled for Feb. 1 but was postponed due to inclement weather.
“I think it’s going to be a good test for us,” Auburn assistant coach Trey Morris said. “Clemson has put together a good roster, and they’ve got a strong program. We expect nothing less than a great fight from them, especially playing at their place. But we’re also really pleased with the way our guys are meshing together and feel that our best tennis is still ahead of us. We’re excited for this test and for how it will prepare us as we get ready to open SEC play.”
Auburn will enter Friday’s matchup with a 6-1 overall record and is coming off a split weekend at ITA Kickoff Weekend in Starkville, Mississippi, which included a win over Alabama and a loss to No. 7 Mississippi State.
Clemson enters the matchup with a 2-1 overall record. The Tigers opened the season with a home loss to LSU but rebounded with wins over No. 14 South Carolina and Harvard.
Auburn freshman Manel Lazaro has impressed during his first semester with the program, posting a perfect 7-0 record in singles play. Lazaro picked up a ranked singles win against Mississippi State, defeating No. 34 Bryan Hernandez Cortes 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3.
The Auburn doubles team of Billy Blaydes and Freddy Blaydes has also had a solid start to the season, going 3-1 in dual matches, including a victory over second-ranked Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez of Mississippi State.
Live video and live scoring of Friday afternoon’s match will be available at ClemsonTigers.com.
Auburn in the rankings (ITA)
Singles:
Hamza Nasridinov – No. 57
Billy Blaydes – No. 62
Manel Lazaro – No. 94
Doubles:
Billy Blaydes/Freddy Blaydes – No. 12