TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Auburn men's tennis secured three spots in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships as Patrik Munkhammar qualified in singles and the doubles team of Tyler Bowers and Freddy Blaydes earned a berth to highlight the Tigers' performance at the ITA South Sectional Championships at the Scott Speicher Memorial Tennis Center.
“I’m very happy with the way our guys went about their business,” associate head coach Trey Morris said. “I challenged them before the event to be the most professional team in the way we approached our training sessions, the way we competed, the way we warmed up and the way we cooled down. We accomplished that mission. It’s no wonder we also accomplished our goal for the trip, which was to send three players to the NCAA Championships.
“We’re very pleased, but there’s still room for improvement. We’re going to come back hungry for more. We’re pleased with this event and excited for the guys who punched their tickets. Now, we’re going to get to work preparing to compete for national championships.”
Munkhammar punched his ticket to the NCAA Singles Championship with a three-set victory over Florida State's Azariah Rusher in Saturday's quarterfinals. After splitting the opening two sets, Munkhammar dominated the deciding set to claim a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 victory and secure one of four automatic bids awarded to the singles semifinalists.
The Tiger opened the tournament Thursday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ole Miss' Mason Landreth before battling past Florida State's Mikail Alimil 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-0 in Friday's round of 16. Munkhammar finished the tournament with a perfect 3-0 singles record, including back-to-back three-set victories.
Bowers and Blaydes joined Munkhammar in securing a trip to Athens with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Ole Miss' Niccolo Baroni and Stefan Vedoveli in Sunday's doubles playoff.
The Auburn duo opened competition Thursday with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Indiana's Matteo Antonescu and Sam Scherer before defeating Mississippi State's Luigi Valletta and Diego Duran 6-3, 6-1 in Friday's quarterfinals. Bowers and Blaydes fell to Alabama's Aleksander Blus and Theo Hegarty 6-4, 6-4 in Saturday's semifinals before rebounding with Sunday's victory to secure their NCAA berth.
Auburn opened the tournament with an undefeated Thursday, sweeping all five matches with three singles victories and two doubles wins.
Bowers and Manel Lazaro joined Munkhammar in advancing to the singles round of 16. Bowers defeated Florida's Jefferson Henry 6-3, 6-4, while Lazaro rallied from a set down against Alabama's Vit Kalina, taking the second-set tiebreaker before Kalina retired.
Bowers continued his singles run Friday with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Ole Miss' Pietro Pampanin. He fell to Georgia's Andrew Delgado 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Saturday's quarterfinals before dropping a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision to Jacksonville State's Marko Milosavlijevic in Sunday's singles playoff.
Lazaro fell to Kentucky's Eli Stephenson 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in Friday's round of 16.
Joey Phillips and Jake Kennedy, who were added to the tournament on-site as alternates, made the most of their opportunity Thursday. The Auburn duo rallied past Georgia Tech's Gianluca Carlini and Richard Biagiotti 5-7, 7-6 (6), 11-9 before falling to Alabama's Blus and Hegarty 6-3, 6-4 in Friday's quarterfinals.
Auburn concluded the tournament with seven singles victories and four doubles wins.
The NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will be held Nov. 17-22 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia.
AUBURN RESULTS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Men’s Singles Main Draw Round of 32
Tyler Bowers (AUB) def. Jefferson Henry (UF) 6-3, 6-4
Patrik Munkhammar (AUB) def Mason Landreth (OM) 6-3, 6-4
Manel Lazaro (AUB) def. Vit Kalina (ALA) 5-7, 7-6 (2) [RETIRED]
Men’s Doubles Main Draw Round of 16
Tyler Bowers/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Matteo Antonescu/Sam Scherer (IU) 7-5, 6-4
Joey Phillips/Jake Kennedy (AUB) def. Gianluca Carlini/Richard Biagiotti (GT) 5-7, 7-6 (6), 11-9
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Men’s Singles Main Draw Round of 16
Tyler Bowers (AUB) def. Pietro Pampanin (OM) 7-6 (5), 6-3
Patrik Munkhammar (AUB) def. Mikail Alimil (FSU) 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-0
Eli Stephenson (UK) def. Manel Lazaro (AUB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Men’s Doubles Main Draw Quarterfinals
Tyler Bowers/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Luigi Valletta/Diego Duran (MSST) 6-3, 6-1
Aleksander Blus/Theo Hegarty (ALA) def. Jake Kennedy/Joey Phillips (AUB) 6-3, 6-4
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Men’s Singles Main Draw Quarterfinals
Patrik Munkhammar (AUB) def. Azariah Rusher (FSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
Andrew Delgado (UGA) def. Tyler Bowers (AUB) 7-6 (5), 6-4
Men’s Doubles Main Draw Semifinals
Aleksander Blus/Theo Hegarty (ALA) def. Tyler Bowers/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) 6-4, 6-4
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8
Men’s Singles Playoff
Marko Milosavlijevic (JSU) def. Tyler Bowers (AUB) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Men’s Doubles Playoff
Tyler Bowers/Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Niccolo Baroni/Stefan Vedoveli (OM) 6-3, 7-5