AUBURN, Ala. – The 19th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team earned a 4-2 road win over the Auburn Tigers Sunday afternoon in Auburn, Ala.
With the victory, the Commodores end a two-match skid and improve to 15-4 overall and 5-2 in Southeastern Conference play.
Sunday’s match began with new doubles pairings play on court three, as Baker Newman teamed up with George Harwell to earn a 6-1 win over Carles Sarrio and Diego Chavarria. VU’s 46th-ranked Cameron Klinger and Billy Rowe established the point lead, clinching tandems play with a 6-4 win against Edward Nguyen and Matteo De Vincentis on court one.
The Commodores carried momentum from their doubles win into singles action, picking up back-to-back victories on courts six then four for the early 3-0 lead.
Harwell earned his 14th win of the season (14-2) to give Vandy the 2-0 lead. The Nashville native picked up a tight straight-set victory over Lorenzo Rodriguez 6-4, 6-4. Harwell went undefeated on the weekend in singles and doubles action.
Over on court four, Rowe earned a 6-3 first-set victory over Sarrio and put his match away late in the second set to secure the Dores their third point of the outing 6-3, 6-4.
With VU searching for its final point, the Tigers snuck in two victories of their own before the Commodore squad could clinch the win on court three.
After taking his opening set 6-1 and then earning a 4-2 lead in the third set, No. 22 Klinger suffered a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 loss on court one to Nguyen. VU’s 56th-ranked Daniel Valent also allowed a match to slip away. The senior earned a close 6-4 first-set advantage, only for No. 109 De Vincentis to take the remaining sets for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 2 singles.
100th-ranked Newman came through for the Commodores, edging Olee Thestrup in both sets for the match on court three, 7-6(3), 7-5, and the overall Vanderbilt team victory 4-2.
Vanderbilt heads back to Nashville next weekend, hosting Texas A&M Friday at 4 p.m. and LSU Sunday at noon on Senior Day. The Commodores will honor seniors Tate Allwardt, Lachlan McPhee, Baker Newman and Daniel Valent prior to first serve on Sunday.
