WACO, Texas – Auburn players tallied seven singles wins and a couple of doubles victories over the weekend at the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Waco, Texas. Freshman Alex Frusina posted a perfect 3-0 singles record and won two of his three doubles matches in his collegiate debut at the event.
The Tigers bounced back from two close doubles losses by recording two singles on Friday. Frusina won his first collegiate singles match as a Tiger over Nicola Cigna of host school Baylor by a 6-4, 6-4 score while Thomas Kennedy defeated Arizona State’s Daniel Phillips in a retirement while leading the third set.
Frusina and Jake Kennedy started Saturday on a positive note for Auburn, defeating Okahoma State’s Ian Bracks and Derek Pham 8-3. The win marked the first college doubles win for Frusina and the first collegiate win for Kennedy.
In singles matches against Texas Tech opponents on Saturday, the Tigers claimed two of the four matches, with Frusina and Thomas Kennedy emerging victorious. Thomas Kennedy came back from dropping his first set to Piotr Pawlak to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Frusina and Jake Kennedy made it two consecutive doubles victories on Sunday morning, as the pair took down Arizona State’s Nicola Cigna and Daniel Phillips in a tiebreaker 8-7 (4). Joey Phillips earned his first ranked singles win on Sunday, defeating No. 109 Casper Christensen of Arizona in straight sets. Frusina then capped off his impressive weekend with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Zoran Ludoski.
Frusina will travel to Louisville to participate in the Louisville ITF 25K this week, while the next event on the schedule for the remainder of the team is the ITA Southern Regional Championships Oct. 17-22 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Friday Results:
Zsombor Velcz/Oskar Brostrom Poulsen (BAY) def. Thomas Kennedy/Joey Phillips (AUB) 8-7 (4)
Louis Bowden/Quintan Van Wijk (BAY) def. Alex Frusina/Jake Kennedy (AUB) 8-6
Alex Frusina (AUB) def. Nicola Cigna (BAY) 6-4, 6-4
Roi Ginat (ASU) def. Joey Phillips (AUB) 6-4, 6-4
Mikel Anderson (ASU) def. Jake Kennedy (AUB) 6-2, 6-2
Thomas Kennedy (AUB) def. Daniel Phillips (ASU) 6-4, 2-6, 2-0 (ret.)
Saturday Results:
Alex Frusina/Jake Kennedy (AUB) def. Ian Bracks/Derek Pham (OKST) 8-3
Thomas Nicholas Gadecki (OKST) def. Thomas Kennedy/Joey Phillips (AUB) 8-5
Sebastian Abboud (TTU) def. Jake Kennedy (AUB) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Thomas Kennedy (AUB) def. Piotr Pawlak (TTU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
Alex Frusina (AUB) def. Tyler Stewart (TTU) 6-3, 6-4
Niksa Arsic (TTU) def. Joey Phillips (AUB) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2
Sunday Results:
Alex Frusina/Jake Kennedy (AUB) def. Nicola Cigna/Daniel Phillips (ASU) 8-7 (4)
Roi Ginat/Mikel Anderson (ASU) def. Thomas Kennedy/Joey Phillips (AUB) 8-6
Joey Phillips (AUB) def. No. 109 Casper Christensen (ARIZ) 6-3, 6-3
Alex Frusina (AUB) def. Zoran Ludoski (ARIZ) 6-4, 6-3
Inaki Cabrera-Bello (ARIZ) def. Jake Kennedy (AUB) 6-0, 6-4
Filip Gustafsson (ARIZ) def. Thomas Kennedy (AUB) 6-1, 6-4