AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 10 Florida Gators men’s tennis team dropped a 4-3 Southeastern Conference match to No. 27 Auburn Sunday.
The Gators (15-7, 6-4 SEC) failed to win the doubles point and then couldn’t pull out the necessary four points in six singles matches to win.
Freshman Carlos Cueto and sophomore Alex Lacroix recorded Florida’s only doubles victory with an 8-0 victory over Alex Petropoulos and Michel Monteiro at No. 3. The Tigers (12-8, 5-5 SEC) won the other two doubles matches to capture the point.
But the Gators looked all right as they took a 3-1 lead with three straight singles victories. Sophomore Jeff Dadamo got things started with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Petropolous at No. 5. Freshman Joey Burkhardt followed at No. 3 with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory over Lukas Marsoun. Sophomore Johnny Hamui then gave Florida a 7-5, 7-5 victory at No. 4 over Auburn’s Alex Stamchev.
But Auburn captured the No. 1 singles match when Alexey Tsyrenov beat Lacroix in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Tim Puetz then beat Antoine Benneteau at No. 2 to square the team match at 3-3.
Sophomore Erik Corace of Naples battled hard for Florida in the No. 6 singles match against Auburn’s Milan Krnketin, who won 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 to seal the upset.
The Gators continue their road stretch at South Carolina next Saturday at 2 p.m.
MEN’S TENNIS
AUBURN 4, FLORIDA 3
At Yarbrough Tennis Center, Auburn, Ala.
DOUBLES
1. (11) Alexey Tysrenov/Tim Puetz (AU) def. (17) Antoine Benneteau/Joey Burkhardt, 8-2.
2. Lukas Marsoun/Alex Stamchev (AU) def. Jeff Dadamo/Johnny Hamui, 8-5.
3. Carlos Cueto/Alex Lacroix (UF) def. Alex Petropoulos/Michel Monteiro, 8-0.
Auburn wins doubles point, 2-1.
SINGLES
1. (59) Alexey Tsyrenov (AU) def. (28) Alex Lacroix, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
2. (106) Tim Puetz (AU) def. Antoine Benneteau, 7-6, 3-6.
3. Joey Burkhardt (UF) def. Lukas Marsoun, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1.
4. Johnny Hamui (UF) def. Alex Stamchev, 7-5, 7-5.
5. Jeff Dadamo (UF) def. Alex Petropoulos, 6-3, 6-4.
6. Milan Krnketin (AU) def. Erik Corace, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6.
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 2, 1; singles – 5, 3, 4, 1, 2, 6.