#9 Vols Roll Past Auburn, 6-1

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The ninth-ranked Tennessee men’s tennis team picked up its sixth consecutive victory Friday night, defeating the Tigers of Auburn, 6-1.
 
The Vols (14-3, 3-0 SEC) earned the double point by way of wins on courts two and three. Filip Apltauer and Younes Lalami cruised to a 6-1 win over Will Nolan and Tyler Stice on court three.
 
After Auburn (10-5, 1-2 SEC) picked up a win on court one, UT clinched the doubles point at the No. 2 spot as the 20th-ranked pairing of Shunsuke Mitsui and Filip Pieczonka battled past Billy Blaydes and Alejandro Moreno, 7-5. Mitsui and Pieczonka, down 4-5, 30-40, battled back to even it at 5-all, before taking the match and giving Tennessee a 1-0 advantage.
 
As singles play got underway, rain soon pushed action indoors to Goodfriend Tennis Center and play resumed shortly after.
 
UT’s first singles victory came on court three, as Chris Li raced past Auburn’s Raul Dobai, 6-0, 6-2. Then, Angel Diaz extended Tennessee’s lead to 3-0 with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Alejandro Moreno.
 
The match clinch came atop the single lineup, with sixth-ranked Johannus Monday picking up a ranked win over No. 40 Tyler Stice, 6-2, 6-2. The Big Orange quickly extended its lead to 5-0, thanks to a 6-4, 6-3 victory on court two by No. 23 Mitsui, defeating No. 73 Finn Murgett.
 
The Vols’ lead grew to 6-0, as 94th-ranked Filip Pieczonka used a 10-point third set to take down Nicholas Heng, 4-6, 6-3, 10-5. Auburn won the match on court six, making it a 6-1 final decision in favor of Tennessee.

JOMO AT NO. 1

With a 6-2, 6-2, win over No. 40 Stice Friday evening, No. 6 Monday posted his ninth ranked singles win of his senior season to improve to 13-2 (3-0 SEC) at the No. 1 singles spot. Overall in his stellar career, he stands at 36-6 (.857) when playing atop the single lineup.

MARVELOUS MITSUI

Mitsui’s win at the No. 2 singles position Friday versus Auburn was his ninth (9-2) of 2024. Through 14 career singles matches at that lineup spot, Mitsui boasts a strong 11-3 (3-0 SEC) record.

 

UP NEXT

Tennessee caps a four-match homestand Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Florida at Barksdale Stadium.

 

RESULTS

Doubles

1. Raul Dobai/Finn Murgett (AUB) def. #4 Angel Diaz/Johannus Monday (TENN) 6-4

2. #20 Shunsuke Mitsui/Filip Pieczonka (TENN) def. Billy Blaydes/Alejandro Moreno (AUB) 7-5

3. Filip Apltauer/Younes Lalami (TENN) def. Will Nolan/Tyler Stice (AUB) 6-1

 

Order of Finish: 3,1,2

 

Singles

1. #6