No. 14 Arizona men’s tennis team finished runner-up at the Blue Gray Tennis Classic after losing to Auburn University 2-4 in the final match in Montgomery, Alabama.

Round 1

To kick off the weekend, the Wildcats squared up against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the first round. Due to weather conditions, the match was delayed but that did not seem to distract them from the win.

The Wildcats started with singles. Jay Friend was the first to finish at six beating his opponent 6-2, 6-2. Colton Smith was one of the next matches to come off the court, beating his Nebraska opponent at line two 6-1, 6-2. Jonas Ziverts won his match 6-2, 6-4 and Nick Lagaev capped the match off with a 6-3, 6-3 win at line five. Herman Hoeyeraal was Arizona’s only loss with the score of 6-7 (0-4), 2-6.

Arizona’s final score against Nebraska was 4-1.

Round 2

In the semifinal match, the Wildcats squared up against the No. 41 University of Oklahoma.

Arizona failed to pick up the doubles point. Ziverts and Friend at line one was the only match to win, and Jared Horwood and Smith lost 5-7 and Gustaf Strom and Hoeyeraal lost 4-6.

The Wildcats would go on to play singles the next day. Rain delays pushed back Arizona’s early match but the Wildcats still started off strong. Smith at line one was one of the first to finish beating his opponent 6-4, 6-2. Hoeyeraal was also one of the first to finish taking his opponent down at line five 6-3, 6-4.

Now with Arizona in the lead, Ziverts made the gap even bigger by beating his Oklahoma opponent at line two 6-1, 7-5. Friend clinched the match at line six winning in a third set 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Round 3

In the final match against No. 36 Auburn, the Wildcats fell in doubles.

With losses from pairs Ziverts and Friend then Smith and Horwood, the Tigers got the doubles point and secured a quick start. Strom put the Wildcats on the board by beating his Tiger opponent at line three 6-2, 6-4. Lagaev was the first Wildcat to fall at line four 1-6, 1-6.

Smith tied the scoreboard up by beating his opponent in a third set battle 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Friend was the next loss at line six with the score of 2-6, 6-4, 4-6. Hoeyeraal was the last match to lose at line five in a tough third set 7-5, 3-6, 4-6 giving the Tigers the clinch and the final score of 4-2.

The Arizona men’s tennis team is back at home for a doubleheader at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center on Friday, March 3, against NAU and Gonzaga University.

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