AUBURN, Ala. – The 26th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team bounced back from a disappointing loss on Friday to knock off No. 34 Auburn, 4-3, Sunday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Vanderbilt (13-7, 4-5 SEC) won the doubles point for the first time in six matches winning tiebreakers at No. 1 and No. 2. Auburn (14-9, 4-5 SEC) won the first doubles match, 8-3 at No. 3, taking down Ryan Smith and Pen Binet.
Fourth-ranked Ryan Lipman and Gonzales Austin notched the first doubles win for the `Dores defeating No. 49 Daniel Cochrane and Oliver Plaskett, 8-7 (2). Vandy’s twos of Anton Kovrigin and Rhys Johnson clinched the point with a 8-7 (4) win over Dennis Lengsfeld and Lukas Ollert.
In singles Auburn fought back and jumped to a 2-1 lead, winning in straight sets at No. 4 and No. 5.
At the No. 4 position, Johnson fell 0-6, 3-6 to Dante Saleh, just before Kovrigin fell at five, 1-6, 3-6.
With the Tigers holding a one point advantage, Kris Yee and Jeffrey Offerdahl posted back-to-back wins to put the Commodores up 3-2.
Yee at No. 3 took down Lengsfeld in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 and Offerdahl posted the 7-6 (6), 6-3 win at No. 6.
It came down to the two three-setters to decide the match. Auburn’s No. 1 player, 110th-ranked Ollert upset No. 17 Austin 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1 at No. 1 to make it 3-all.
However, Lipman was able to answer for the `Dores and clinched it 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5) at No. 2.
The Commodores will remain on the road for one more regular season match before returning home for the final two. Vanderbilt will face Kentucky on Sunday, April 6 in Lexington before returning home for matches against Florida (4/11) and South Carolina (4/13).
#26 Vanderbilt 4, #34 Auburn 3
Singles competition
1. #110 Lukas Ollert (AU) def. #17 Gonzales Austin (VANDY) 7-6 (6-4), 4-6, 6-1
2. #57 Ryan Lipman (VANDY) def. #64 Daniel Cochrane (AU) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Kris Yee (VANDY) def. Dennis Lengsfeld (AU) 6-4, 6-1
4. Dante Saleh (AU) def. Rhys Johnson (VANDY) 6-0, 6-3
5. Joseph Van Dooren (AU) def. Anton Kovrigin (VANDY) 6-1, 6-3
6. Jeffrey Offerdahl (VANDY) def. Petar Tomic (AU) 7-6 (7-6), 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #4 Gonzalez Austin/Ryan Lipman (VANDY) def. #49 Daniel Cochrane/Oliver Plaskett (AU) 8-7 (7-2)
2. Rhys Johnson/Anton Kovrigin (VANDY) def. Dennis Lengsfeld/Lukas Ollert (AU) 8-7 (7-4)
3. Dante Saleh/Joseph Van Dooren (AU) def. Ryan Smith/Pen Binet (VANDY) 8-3
Match Notes:
Vanderbilt 13-7 (4-5 SEC); National ranking #26
Auburn 14-9 (4-5 SEC); National ranking #34
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (4,5,3,6,1,2)
