Auburn struggled hard in the singles contest, but No. 20 South Carolina opened the SEC season with a 5-2 win on Friday at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, SC
The match involved seven ties and four singles matches were three sets, but the Gamecocks, who won the doubles point with wins in courts three and one, won the first three singles decisions to close the match.
After making the first set 7-6, Auburn’s Spencer Gray obtained a victory in the third tiebreaker set by 10-7 in court six to put the Tigers’ first point on the scoreboard. Tad Maclean, who took all three sets on court four for the tiebreaker, fell 14-10 in the decisive stanza.
On block two, Auburn’s Tyler Stice won the first set 6-3 over No. 81 Raphael Lambling, and playing a complete third set, Stice took the tie 7-5 to win that match.
Tigers now have 3-5. South Carolina is 5-2. Auburn then travels to Gainesville, Florida, for a Sunday game against No. 11 Florida (4-1) at 11am CT at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
The Tigers open the SEC game at home on Friday, February 26, hosting Vanderbilt at 1pm. All tennis action at Auburn’s home takes place at the Yarbrough Tennis Center (1717 Richland Road, Auburn). Fans wearing facial covers are welcome at all games played outdoors; fans can bring lawn chairs or blankets to keep them socially apart. If the weather changes the match at home, only participants and officials will be admitted.
South Carolina 5, Auburn 2
Songs
# 32 Daniel Rodrigues (USC) won. Tim Dollman (AU) 6-3, 6-4
Tyler Stice (AU) def. # 81 Raphael Lambling (USC) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)
Toby Samuel (USC) won. Jan Galka (AU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Phillip Jordan (USC) won. Tad Maclean (AU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (8-6), 1-0 (14-10)
Jake Beasley (USC) won. Maxwell Giddens (AU) 6-3, 6-1
Spencer Gray (AU) def. Beau Pelletier (USC) 7-6 (9-7), 6-7 (8-6), 1-0 (10-7)
Doubles
# 44 Daniel Rodrigues / Connor Thomson (USC) def. Tad Maclean/Finn Murgett (AU) 6-2
Tom Wright/Maxwell Giddens (AU) v # 59 Raphael Lambling / Phillip Jordan (USC) 2-5 unfinished
Jake Beasley / Toby Samuel (USC) won. Jan Galka/Tyler Stice (AU) 6-0
Departure time: 3:32; Finishing order: Doubles: 3.1; Singles: 5,1,3,6,2