AUBURN, Ala. — The 15th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team couldn’t overcome the weather or No. 18 Auburn on Sunday, as the Tigers dropped its second Southeastern Conference match of the season, 4-1, on a cold and windy day in Auburn, Ala.
“We made some improvements in the way that we played today compared to our match against Alabama,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “We played a bit better, but we still didn’t play up to our potential. There were some very tough conditions today, and I think that we handled them well and competed with some good intensity.”
With the loss, the Tigers dropped to an overall record of 3-3 on the season and fell to an 0-2 mark in conference play. Auburn improved its record to 7-1 and remained undefeated against SEC opponents. Auburn opened conference play with a 4-3 victory over Arkansas on Friday.
The Tigers dug themselves into a bit of a hole on Sunday as they allowed Auburn to earn an early 1-0 lead in the contest by winning the doubles point.
The Auburn Tigers were victorious on courts No. 1 and No. 3 to clinch the opening point of the match in doubles play. Auburn’s combination of Andrew Colombo and Mark Kovacs outlasted LSU’s Dan Kiernan and Sebastian Rutka, 8-6, on court No. 1, while Tiago Ruffoni and Estevam Strecker defeated the Tigers’ duo of Bryan Fisher and Cory Ross on court No. 3, 8-5.
In singles play, Jason Hazley earned LSU’s lone point of the afternoon by defeating Auburn’s Mark Van Elden in three sets on court No. 6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. The Tigers’ freshman from Bradenton, Fla., improved his overall singles record to 15-11 with the win.
Auburn’s three singles victories came on courts No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5.
Ruffoni upended LSU’s Fisher, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2, in a marathon match on court No. 2, while the Tigers’ Peter Richman was beaten by Auburn’s Columbo on court No. 3, 7-5, 6-3, and LSU’s Rutka was knocked off by Strecker, 7-6(3), 6-3, on court No. 5.
Despite its second-consecutive loss against Auburn, the LSU Tigers still hold a commanding 26-8 lead in the all-time series between the two schools.
The 15th-ranked LSU men’s tennis team will next be in action on Wednesday, as the Tigers return home to face the 24th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies at 4 p.m. at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
No. 18 Auburn 4, No. 15 LSU 1
Doubles
1. Colombo/Kovacs (AU) def. Kiernan/Rutka, 8-6.
2. Smatt/Hazley (LSU) vs. Junaid/Boz, suspended.
3. Ruffoni/Strecker (AU) def. Fisher/Ross, 8-5.
Singles
1. Dan Kiernan (LSU) vs. Rameez Junaid, suspended.
2. Tiago Ruffoni (AU) def. Bryan Fisher, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2.
3. Andrew Colombo (AU) def. Peter Richman, 7-5, 6-3.
4. Jesse Smatt (LSU) vs. Mark Kovacs, suspended.
5. Estevam Strecker (AU) def. Sebastian Rutka, 7-6(3), 6-3.
6. Jason Hazley (LSU) def. Mark Van Elden, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.