Jan. 22, 2013
="" alt="Twitter Logo" border="0" class="imported">@MensTennisAU on Twitter | 
="" alt="Facebook Logo" border="0" class="imported">Auburn Men's Tennis on Facebook
AUBURN - The Auburn men's tennis team fought the elements and a resilient Troy team for four hours Tuesday, emerging with a 6-1 victory on a chilly afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers (3-0) wrapped up their season-opening three-match home stand with their 19th straight win over Troy in the all-time series that dates back to 1956.
"We knew they were going to be tougher," Auburn head coach Eric Shore said. "My hat's off to them; they pushed us. I thought they exposed some areas we're a little soft in right now, and we've got to get better. I'm really happy we got to play this match in these conditions like we're going to see this weekend. Collectively, as a team we realized we're going to have to get tougher. It served a purpose, but it also exposed some weaknesses."
The Auburn doubles teams remained unbeaten throughout the season's first three matches. Sophomore Lukas Ollert and freshman Joseph Van Dooren sprinted to an 8-1 victory over Anas Rouchdi and Daniel Bustamante at the No. 3 spot, and the nation's No. 2-ranked duo of senior Andreas Mies and junior Daniel Cochrane clinched the doubles point with an 8-3 victory over Sami Ghorbel and Andre Stabile. Junior Dennis Lengsfeld and senior Lucas Lopasso made it an Auburn sweep of doubles with an 8-5 win over Patrick Eichler and Mansingh Athare at the No. 2 position.
"I was happy with our doubles," Shore said. "Our doubles teams are looking really good right now. But we've got some work to do in singles."
Cochrane got Auburn on the board first from the No. 1 singles position with a win over Troy's Stabile, who retired with an injury midway through the second set with Cochrane leading 6-3, 3-1. Lengsfeld then won in straight sets over Bustamante, 6-2, 6-4, to give Auburn a 3-0 lead.
Despite dropping a 6-4 decision in the second set, senior Michael Wardell provided the clinching point at the No. 6 singles spot as he blanked Eichler in the first and third sets, posting a 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 win for his third victory of the season.
Lopasso fought off a strong effort from Athare at the No. 4 position, claiming a 7-5, 7-6 (4) win to make it 5-0 Tigers. But Troy would find its way onto the scoreboard at the No. 5 spot where Ghorbel downed Van Dooren in three sets, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. A three-hour battle between Ollert and Rouchdi would wrap up the match under the lights with Ollert emerging victorious with a come-from-behind, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (2) win.
Auburn will head to Starkville, Miss., this Saturday and Sunday for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend and National Indoors qualifier. The Tigers will face No. 22 Indiana at 10 a.m. Saturday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, followed by a Sunday non-conference match against either Mississippi State or LSU.
Auburn Men's Tennis Results
January 22, 2013
Yarbrough Tennis Center - Auburn, Ala.
Auburn 6, Troy 1
Singles
1. Daniel Cochrane (AU) def. Andre Stabile (Troy), 6-3, 3-1, ret. inj.
2. Lukas Ollert (AU) vs. Anas Rouchdi (Troy),5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
3. Dennis Lengsfeld (AU) vs. Daniel Bustamante (Troy), 6-2, 6-4
4. Lucas Lopasso (AU) vs. Mansingh Athare (Troy), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
5. Sami Ghorbel (Troy) def. Joseph Van Dooren (AU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
6. Michael Wardell (AU) vs. Patrick Eichler (Troy), 6-0, 4-6, 6-0
Order of finish: 1, 3, 6, 4, 5, 2
Doubles:
1. #2 Andreas Mies/Daniel Cochrane (AU) def. Sami Ghorbel/Andre Stabile (Troy), 8-3
2. Dennis Lengsfeld/Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. Patrick Eichler/Mansingh Athare (Troy), 8-5
3. Lukas Ollert/Joseph Van Dooren (AU) def. Anas Rouchdi/Daniel Bustamante (Troy), 8-1
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Match Notes
Auburn 3-0, National ranking #21
Troy 1-2
T - 4:02