After going 1-1 last weekend with a conference loss to Georgia (20-0, 12-0) and a non-conference win against Western Illinois (4-9, 1-3), Mizzou tennis (14-3, 0-12) fell to Auburn (14-3, 1-11) 4-1 Friday. This marks Auburn’s first win this season in the SEC leaving the Missouri still without its own conference win.
The beginning of the day held a promising start for the black and gold Tigers as they dominated early on in doubles. At No. 2 doubles action, junior Mackenzy Middlebrooks and sophomore Marta Oliveira defeated Auburn’s freshman Yu Chen and sophomore Jaeda Daniel 6-1. Following shortly after at No. 3 doubles was a come-from-behind win of 7-5 from Mizzou’s junior Gabrielle Goldin and sophomore Taylor Gruber over seniors Alannah Griffin and Caroline Turner.
The two wins secured the doubles point for the visiting Tigers, leaving the No. 1 singles match between the Mizzou pair of sophomore Ellie Wright and freshman Lisa Fukutoku and the Auburn pair of sophomore Madeline Meredith and junior Taylor Russo unfinished at 6-5.
Although Missouri secured the doubles point, they dropped four straight singles matches afterwards. Auburn tightened the match early with wins at No. 3 singles from Russo 6-1, 6-4 over Wright and at No. 5 singles with Chen defeating Gruber 6-3, 6-4. No. 1 and No. 2 singles did not fare much better with Middlebrooks falling to Daniel 6-4, 6-3 and Mizzou junior Serena Nash dropping to Meredith with a score of 6-4, 6-3 at No. 2 singles.
Play was suspended before matches at No. 4 and No. 6 singles could be completed. Fukutoku was ahead of Griffin 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 at No. 4 singles and Oliveira led Turner 6-4, 1-6, 4-1 at No. 6 singles.
This match marks loss number 12 for Mizzou in SEC play, but the Tigers look to change that in their last regular season match at Alabama (17-10, 5-7) Sunday, April 14.
_Edited by Emily Leiker | eleiker@themaneater.com_