Ole Miss men’s tennis suffered a 4-3 loss to No. 19 Auburn on Friday evening at the Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center in Oxford, Mississippi, according to the university’s athletics department.
The match was decided in the final singles contest, where No. 79-ranked Stefano D’Agostino faced No. 23 Hamza Nasridinov. The match was tied at one set apiece when D’Agostino, who had rallied from a first-set loss, sustained an injury at the start of the third set. Despite continuing to play, Nasridinov won the final set 6-3, clinching the victory for Auburn.
Ole Miss took an early lead in doubles, with D’Agostino and Pietro Pampanin defeating Nicholas Heng and Alan Bojarski 6-2. However, Auburn responded with wins on the other courts, with Matthieu Chambonniere and Benjamin Martin securing a 7-6 victory over Hamza Nasridinov and Jake Kennedy to give the Tigers the first point of the match.
In singles play, Ole Miss struck first, with freshman Vlado Jankanj defeating Bojarski 6-3, 6-3. Auburn answered back, winning the next two singles courts to tie the match at 2-2. Noah Schlagenhauf then defeated Freddy Blaydes 6-3, 6-4 to give the Rebels a 3-2 advantage. Auburn responded with wins on the remaining courts, including the decisive match involving D’Agostino.
The Rebels are scheduled to close their regular season at home Sunday against No. 22 Kentucky at 12 p.m., with seniors Stromberg, Schlagenhauf and Whitwell being honored before the match, according to the university.
