AUBURN, Ala. — The 26th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team is set to play the 12th-ranked Auburn Tigers here at the Luther Young Tennis Complex in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday in the first contest of a five-match road trip.
“This is the highest-ranked Auburn team that we have played in a while,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “They are playing with a lot of confidence right now, and it is going to take a great effort to beat them on their home court. We have also been playing some really good tennis lately, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
LSU heads into Tuesday’s dual-match contest with an overall record of 11-3 and a 4-2 mark versus Southeastern Conference opponents. The Tigers defeated sixth-ranked Tennessee, 4-1, in their most-recent match at home in the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium. LSU has also recorded conference wins over Vanderbilt (6-1), Arkansas (4-3) and Kentucky (4-3).
The Auburn Tigers were defeated by Arizona State on the road in Phoenix, Ariz., in their previous match, 4-3. The loss dropped Auburn to an overall record of 8-3 on the season. The War Eagles are 2-1 against conference opponents and have recorded SEC wins against Mississippi State (4-3) and Florida (5-2). Auburn’s lone-SEC loss of the season came at the hands of Ole Miss, 4-3.
In last season’s annual match-up between the schools, LSU was victorious at home in Baton Rouge, 4-3. The win marked the Tigers’ fourth-straight victory over Auburn, and LSU has not been defeated by the War Eagles since 1997. In 1997, Auburn defeated the Tigers, 4-3, at home in the Luther King Tennis Complex to hand LSU its fourth loss of the season.
The Tigers enter Tuesday’s SEC battle against Auburn with the services of two nationally-ranked singles players and doubles teams.
Ajay Ramawami, LSU’s 10th-ranked singles player in the nation, comes into the contest with an overall record of 21-11 and in the midst of a three-match winning streak. Ramaswami has compiled victories over seventh-ranked Matias Boeker, No. 67 Andy Leber and 44th-ranked Adam Carey in his previous-three matches.
In No. 2 singles play, LSU’s 64th-ranked Dan Kiernan will look to extend his seven-match winning streak. Kiernan owns a 19-6 overall record and has not been defeated in No. 2 singles play this season. He is 12-0 on court No. 2 and has earned a 4-1 mark against ranked opponents. Kiernan is also a vital component of the nation’s 28th-ranked doubles team.
Partnered with freshman Sebastian Rutka, the pair has accumulated a 15-3 overall record. In No. 2 doubles play, the Tigers boast the No. 40 team in the nation. The combination of junior Jesse Smatt and freshman Sanjin Sadovich is undefeated in dual matches. The LSU duo is 3-0 against conference opponents and 9-1 overall.
The 26th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team will face the 12th-ranked Auburn Tigers at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, in an SEC road contest in Auburn, Ala.