In a thrilling display of dominance, Auburn men's tennis swept a home doubleheader during the SEC opening weekend, defeating No. 15 Florida 6-1 and shutting out The Citadel 7-0 at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. The Tigers have made it clear they're a force to be reckoned with this season.
Auburn head coach Bobby Reynolds expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, noting, "We’ve been putting in a lot of work, and credit to these guys, especially in doubles." The Tigers' doubles play was indeed electric, particularly against Florida, where the Auburn duo of Billy and Freddy Blaydes clinched the crucial doubles point with a nail-biting tiebreaker win.
The momentum carried into singles play, with Auburn winning the first set on four courts. Nicholas Heng set the tone at the No. 3 singles position, securing a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Lorenzo Claverie. Freshman Manel Lazaro continued his impressive form, earning a straight-set win that pushed Auburn to a commanding 3-0 lead.
The highlight of the day was Hamza Nasridinov's battle against Florida's Henry Jefferson. In a tightly contested match, Nasridinov broke Jefferson's serve at 4-4 in the first set and held on to win 6-4, 6-4, clinching the team victory for Auburn.
After securing the win, the Blaydes brothers added to the tally with Billy winning in three sets and Freddy triumphing in a third-set tiebreaker, sealing a 6-1 victory over Florida.
Auburn's confidence was palpable as they faced The Citadel later in the day. The Tigers swept the doubles matches, with Alan Bojarski leading the charge in singles, defeating Reece Beckendorf 6-1, 6-1. The Blaydes brothers continued their winning streak, and straight-set victories from Joey Phillips, Thomas Kennedy, and Nasridinov completed the 7-0 shutout.
With these victories, Auburn improved to 9-1 overall and 1-0 in SEC play, maintaining an unbeaten 7-0 record at home. The Tigers have now beaten Florida twice in the last three seasons, narrowing the all-time series gap.
Next, Auburn heads to Knoxville to face Tennessee, riding high on their recent successes. The Tigers are proving they're not just contenders but potential champions in the making.
Singles Results:
- Hamza Nasridinov (AUB) def. Henry Jefferson (UF) 6-4, 6-4
- Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Pablo Perez Ramos (UF) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-2
- Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Lorenzo Claverie (UF) 6-3, 6-3
- Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 1-0 (10-8)
- Kevin Edengren (UF) def. Alan Bojarski (AUB) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 1-0 (10-2)
- Manel Lazaro (AUB) def. Andreas Timini (UF) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles Results:
- Billy Blaydes / Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Henry Jefferson/Lorenzo Claverie (UF) 7-6 (7-4)
- Joey Phillips / Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Pablo Perez Ramos/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) 6-4
- Kevin Edengren/Andreas Timini (UF) def. Alan Bojarski / Jake Kennedy (AUB) 6-3
Against The Citadel:
- Hamza Nasridinov (AUB) def. Noah Van Dyke (CIT) 6-3, 6-4
- Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Brady Gober (CIT) 6-2, 6-2
- Freddy Blaydes (AUB) def. Nick Stroumpis (CIT) 6-1, 6-3
- Joey Phillips (AUB) def. Ted Bagwell (CIT) 6-4, 6-1
- Alan Bojarski (AUB) def. Reece Beckendorf (CIT) 6-1, 6-1
- Thomas Kennedy (AUB) def. Graham Hardin (CIT) 6-2, 6-2
Auburn is clearly on a roll, and their upcoming match against Tennessee will be another opportunity to showcase their growing prowess. War Eagle!