March 23, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn men's tennis team had its best match of the SEC season but fell short 5-2 to No. 21 Kentucky outdoors Friday evening at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers won the first set of three of the six singles matches, played to a third set in four matches and won two tiebreakers in singles play.
Auburn freshman Lorenzo Rodriguez claimed a come-from-behind three-set win on court six over Cesar Borgois by a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 score.
Auburn freshman Tad Maclean, playing on court five, won tiebreakers 8-6 and 7-0 to post a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Austin Hussey for the Tigers' other team point, as Auburn closed the score to 3-2 before the Wildcats clinched the match.
Doubles were contested in three close matches, but Kentucky took the doubles point with a pair of 6-3 victories on courts one and three.
"Obviously we can't look back now and take back how we did in doubles. We've been pretty good in doubles this year so it was a little bit of a surprise the way we came out tonight," Auburn coach Bobby Reynolds said. "That's scoreboard pressure right there; if you win those doubles, you make some of those guys play that third set. Our guys know they have to come out fast. They have to come out with a sense of urgency in the doubles.
"I'm happy with how some of the guys responded in the singles, being more mentally tough on the points construction to get easy points. It's a building process with that and have the guys understand that."
The Tigers, now 9-11 in the spring season, will entertain No. 19 Vanderbilt (1 p.m.) and Alabama State (4:30 p.m.) in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. Fans will receive a free Auburn Tennis t-shirt. All Auburn home matches are held at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (771 Yarbrough Farms Blvd., Auburn), and admission is free.
#21 Kentucky 5, Auburn 2
Singles
#26 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. Edward Nguyen (AU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
Will Bushamuka (UK) def. #109 Matteo De Vincentis (AU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Olle Thestrup (AU) 6-0, 6-1
Trey Yates (UK) def. Carles Sarrio (AU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Tad Maclean (AU) def. Austin Hussey (UK) 7-6, 7-6
Lorenzo Rodriguez (AU) def. Cesar Borgois (UK) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
#31 Borgois/Gus Benson (UK) def. Nguyen/De Vincentis (AU) 6-3
Thestrup/Maclean (AU) vs. Wallart/Matsumura (UK) 3-5 unfinished
Bushamuka/Hussey (UK) def. Sarrio/Diego Chavarria (AU) 6-3
Time of Match: 2:47; Order of Finish: Doubles: 3,1; Singles: 3,6,4,5,1,2; Official: Donna Jerome