The No. 20 Alabama men’s tennis team (11-3, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) stayed with the Texas A&M Aggies (8-3, 2-0 SEC) for the three-hour match, but ultimately fell 4-3 Sunday at the Roberta Baumgardner Indoor Tennis Facility.
Texas A&M went ahead 1-0 after doubles action with victories on courts two and one. Valentin Vacherot and Austin Abbrat defeated Thibault Cancel and Alexey Nesterov 6-1, while Juan Carlos Aguilar and Barnaby Smith won 6-4 over Mazen Osama and Patrick Kaukovalta.
Each team claimed three first sets in singles, then the Aggies took control on court three, as No. 47 Valentin Vacherot topped No. 108 Kaukovalta, 6-3, 6-0. Jeremy Gschwendtner had a 6-0, 6-3, triumph over No. 105 Abbrat.
No. 32 Osama prevailed over No. 121 Aguilar, 7-5, 5-2. Texas A&M’s Vacherot held off Nesterov in three sets at the fourth spot, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.
At the fifth spot, Riccardo Roberto evened the score up, 3-3, with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win.
Edson Ortiz dropped a tight opening set 6-4, but rallied back to win the second 6-4. Ortiz grabbed the early break in the third, before Hady Habib climbed back 7-6(2) to clinch the team victory for Texas A&M.
Next up, Alabama will travel to Lexington, Ky., to face Kentucky for its first SEC road match at 4 p.m. Friday.
Alabama Results
Doubles
- Juan Carlos Aguilar/Barnaby Smith (TAMU) def. Mazen Osama/Patrick Kaukovalta (UA) 6-4
- Valentin Vacherot/Austin Abbrat (TAMU) def. Thibault Cancel/Alexey Nesterov (UA) 6-1
- Edson Ortiz/Riccardo Roberto (UA) vs. Hady Habib/Alex Vedri (TAMU) 4-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 2, 1
Singles
- No. 32 Mazen Osama (UA) def. No. 121 Juan Carlos Aguilar (TAMU) 7-5, 5-2
- Hady Habib (TAMU) def. Edson Ortiz (UA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2)
- No. 47 Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) def. No. 108 Patrick Kaukovalta (UA) 6-3, 6-0
- No. 66 Barnaby Smith (TAMU) def. Alexey Nesterov (UA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
- Riccardo Roberto (UA) def. Noah Schachter (TAMU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
- Jeremy Gschwendtner (UA) def. No. 105 Austin Abbrat (TAMU) 6-0, 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 1, 4, 5, 2
