AUBURN, Ala. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team began the SEC’s annual Fall Classic Friday morning in Auburn, Ala. Four of the Commodores’ five doubles teams look to compete in Saturday’s quarterfinal action in the two doubles flights. In addition, a trio of singles contenders remain undefeated, hoping to continue making waves for the Dores.
VU began the first day of competition with doubles play, as Kris Yee and Vikram Chari picked up their first win for the black and gold. The senior/freshman pair defeated Alabama’s Hills/Brewer in a decisive 8-3 victory.
Ryan Smith and Baker Newman brought in their second win of the fall for the Commodores, as they sealed their chances of advancing on in tournament play with an 8-5 win over Bama’s Richey/Edwards. VU’s lone doubles loss of the day came from Tate Allwardt and Alex Ross, who lost in a close 8-7 defeat.
In singles competition, Vanderbilt went 9-7 overall, with freshmen Cameron Klinger and Alex Ross each earning their first collegiate victories for Vanderbilt in their opening round matches.
Between the two singles flights, Klinger remains in tournament contention alongside senior Kris Yee and junior Pen Binet. A native of Elk Grove, Calif., Klinger earned a huge 6-4, 6-4 win over the third-seeded and 60th-ranked player in the nation, Maxx Lipman, to advance into quarterfinals.
As the No. 1 seed in the second bracket, Yee enjoyed a first-round bye, but plays Arkansas’ Marino after a seamless 6-2, 6-3 victory over the Razorback’s Herrerias in the round of 16. And with a win under his belt, Seventh-seeded Binet advances to play MSU’s fourth-seeded Fallert. The Tortonto native took down Auburn’s Van Dooran after winning a close first set tiebreaker, and using the momentum to close out the match; 7-6, 6-1.
Match play will resume on Saturday at 9 a.m. CT.
Results:
Newman/Smith def. Richey/Edwards (Bama); 8-5
Yee/Char def. Hills/Brewer (Bama); 8-3
Herndon/ Herreria (ARK) def. Allwardt/Ross; 8-7
A Singles (Round of 32):
Trevor Foshey (MSU) def Ryan Smith (Van) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Baker Newman (Van) def Spencer Richey (Ala) 6-4, 6-2
Cameron Klinger (Van) def. Preston Touliatos (Tenn) 6-2, 6-4
Vaughn Hunter (MSU) def Rhys Johnson (Van) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
A Singles (Round of 16)
Harrison O’Keefe (SC) def. Danny Valent (Van) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
Thomas Mayronne (SC) def Baker Newman (Van) 6-1, 6-7, 6-2
Cameron Klinger (Van) def. Maxx Lipman (Fla) 6-4, 6-4
A Singles consolation first round
Ryan Smith (Van) def. Marko Krickovic (Aub) wo/inj
Rhys Johnson (Van) def. Dante Saleh (Aub) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
B Singles (Round of 32)
Alex Ross (Van) def. Max Sivalls (Aub) 6-2, 6-3
Tate Allwardt (Van) def. Jess Jones (Tenn) 7-5, 6-1
Jack Heslin (Tenn) def Vikram Chari (Van) 6-0, 6-2
B Singles (Round of 16)
Kris Yee (Van) def. David Herrieras (Ark) 6-2, 6-3
Joshua Wardell (Fla) def. Alex Ross (Van) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Pen Binet (Van) def. Joseph Van Dooren (Aub) 7-6, 6-1
Fabian Fallert (OM) def. Tate Allwardt (Van) 6-4, 6-2
