Oct. 20, 2014
Auburn, Ala. - Auburn senior Lukas Ollert is the ITA Southern Region men's tennis champion, wrapping up five days of action at the Yarbrough Tennis Center with his victory Monday.
The top-seeded Ollert defeated his Tiger teammate Max Hinnisdaels 6-4, 6-4 in the morning singles final.
"It's way harder playing a teammate in a championship like this," Ollert said. "Anyone at this level would mean you are facing an excellent player, but in Max, it's a hard challenge. He's a good player and we know how the other plays. It was a different challenge playing my teammate."
Ollert and junior Marko Krickovic finished as the regional runners-up in doubles, dropping a close-fought match 7-6, 5-7; 1-0 (8) to second-seeded Florian Lakat and Julian Cash of Mississippi State on Monday afternoon.
The singles and doubles regional champions are guaranteed a spot in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, held November 6-9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.