Louisiana Goes Toe-to-Toe with Auburn at ITA Nationals

ATHENS, Georgia - Although the final score may not show it, the Louisiana men's tennis team went down to the wire with Auburn on day two of the ITA National Championships in Athens, Georgia. The Cajuns fell 4-0 but had three singles matches reach the third set against the Tigers.

Louisiana dropped the doubles match on court one but things were close on courts two and three. The Cajun duo of Oriol Fillat Gimenez and William Ribero had the lead at 5-4 but Alejandro Sanchez Gonzalez and Leonard Tramolay fell on court two, 6-4.

Fillat Gimenez and Alejo Ferrer Chueca earned set one singles wins on courts four and five by identical 6-3 scores. Over on court one, Sanchez Gonzalez and No. 53 Tyler Stice went back and forth before Stice took both sets 7-5. After dropping his opening set, Vasil Dimitrov battled back to take the second against No. 78 Raul Dobai, 6-3.

Despite fighting back, Dimitrov was defeated in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. William Ribero had forced a first set tiebreaker and was in the second set when the match was decided. Fillat Gimenez was in the third set while Ferrer Chueca held the lead in the second set when their matches went unfinished.

The Cajuns return home for the Winter Classic beginning Friday, February 2.

Singles competition
1. #53 Tyler Stice (AUB) def. Al Sanchez Gonzalez (UL) 7-5, 7-5
2. #78 Raul Dobai (AUB) def. Vasil Dimitrov (UL) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
3. Alejandro Moreno (AUB) vs. William Ribero (UL) 7-6 (7-0), 2-0, unfinished
4. Billy Blaydes (AUB) vs. Oriol Fillat Gimenez (UL) 3-6, 6-4, 2-1, unfinished
5. Will Nolan (AUB) vs. Alejo Ferrer Chueca (UL) 3-6, 5-6, unfinished
6. Nicholas Heng (AUB) def. Leonard Tramolay (UL) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles competition
1. Raul Dobai/Finn Murgett (AUB) def. Vasil Dimitrov/Sacha Grandvincent (UL) 6-2
2. Will Nolan/Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Leonard Tramolay/Al Sanchez Gonzalez (UL) 6-4
3. Nicholas Heng/Tyler Stice (AUB) vs. Oriol Fillat Gimenez/William Ribero (UL) 4-5, unfinished

Match Notes: Louisiana 0-4 Auburn 3-1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,1)
Official: Karen Badger-Mabry T-2:31

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Louisiana Goes Toe-to-Toe with Auburn at ITA Nationals

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Vasil Dimitrov

Alejo Ferrer Chueca

Oriol Fillat Gimenez

Sacha Grandvincent

William Ribero

Alejandro Sanchez Gonzalez