Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team dropped its season opener to nationally-ranked Auburn on Sunday, 7-0, at AU's Yarbrough Tennis Center.

AU and JSU were opening the season for the second consecutive year as both in-state foes faced off against each other to open the 2013 season.

This year's match featured a new-look Gamecock squad as veteran JSU Head Coach Steve Bailey had four new faces in the singles line up along with three new doubles tandems.  Sophomore Pedro Wagner made his debut at the No. 1 singles position and battled AU's Daniel Cochrane, who ranks 112th in the nation, and fell 6-2, 6-1.
Freshman Jaryd Reese, from Marietta, Ga., dropped a straight sets match to Lukas Ollert of the Tigers, 6-3, 6-2.  Freshman Mathias Chaim made his collegiate debut against No. 89 Dante Saleh of AU, but dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision at No. 3.  Jefferson Wendler-Filho, who joined the JSU squad when the semester started in early January, took AU's Joseph Van Dooren to three sets before suffering the loss,  The São Paulo, Brazil-native claimed the second set, 6-3, to force the third and deciding set.

Juniors Felipe Diaz and Felipe Wenzel played at the No. 4 and 6 spots respectively in the 2014 lid lifter and suffered defeats.

In doubles, Bailey paired Reece and Wagner at the top spot, while Chaim and Wendler-Filho was quick worked by AU's 37th-ranked duo of Dennis Lengsfeld and Ollert.  Fresman Austin McCormick and Wenzel was leading AU's tandem of Dooren and Saleh, 4-3, before doubles was called due to the point being won by the Tigers.

The Gamecocks return to the court next weekend as they take part in the Southern Miss Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss.