AUBURN, Ala. (January 17, 2025) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team opened the Spring 2025 season against the Auburn Tigers on Friday, taking a singles point in a 6-1 defeat in Auburn, Ala.

Opening against a Southeastern Conference opponent, North Alabama took on the challenge of facing a Power Four program in the team's season debut. The Lions answered the call with competitive play against the Tigers, able to take one match each in doubles and singles play.

The Tigers took the doubles point to open the dual, securing the first point before heading into singles play. Despite Auburn's win, the Lions won the third court. Sophomore Izan Orgiles and freshman Samu Dominguez defeated Auburn's Hamza Nasridinov and Thomas Kennedy.

Sophomore Alberto Altur and senior Nazar Fedoryshyn competed with the No. 15 ranked doubles Will Nolan and Billy Blaydes, falling in a 6-1 decision. Freshman Satoru Nakajima and junior Lachlan Brain faced Alex Frusina and Joey Phllips of Auburn but also fell in a 6-2 defeat.

The Tigers took five singles courts to take the dual but not without the Lions taking one point from flight five. Altur worked his way back from a 6-2 deficit in the first set to take the next two sets, 6-3, 6-4, for the comeback win in the final match of the dual. It marked the third time in five meetings that UNA has taken a point from the Tigers. North Alabama previously took a point in individual duals from the 2020 and 2022 seasons.

Auburn won the first five singles matches, though competitive. Dominguez provided a solid match from court six but fell to the Tigers' Kennedy, 6-4, 6-4. Brain played Auburn's Nolan to a first-set tiebreak from court one but ultimately fell in two sets, 7-5, 6-1.

Orgiles provided an opening battle to No. 95 Alex Frusina of Auburn, dropping a close 7(7)-6(2) tiebreak set. Frusina took the final set in a competitive bout from court three, 7-6. 6-4. Fedoryshyn fell in a solid match from court five in a 6-4, 7-5 decision against Nasridinov. Duran rounded out the Lions' singles matches with a 6-0, 6-2 defeat to Billy Blaydes from court two.


Auburn 6, North Alabama 1

Doubles
1. #15 Will Nolan/Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn/Alberto Altur (UNA), 6-1
2. Alex Frusina/Joey Phillips (AUB) def. Satoru Nakajima/Lachlan Brain (UNA), 6-2
3. Izan Orgiles/Samu Dominguez (UNA) def. Hamza Nasridinov/Thomas Kennedy (AUB), 6-3

Singles
1.  Will Nolan (AUB) def. Lachlan Brain (UNA), 7-5, 6-1
2. Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Birtan Duran (UNA), 6-0, 6-2
3. #95 Alex Frusina (AUB) def. Izan Orgiles (UNA), 7(7)-6(2), 6-4
4. Hamza Nasrinov (AUB) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA), 6-4, 7-5
5. Alberto Altur (UNA) def. Mats Bredschneijder (AUB), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Thomas Kennedy (AUB) def. Samu Dominguez (UNA), 6-4, 6-4

Match Notes
Auburn: 2-0
North Alabama: 0-1

Order of Finish – Doubles: (1,2,3) Singles (2,6,1,3,4,5)


COMING UP NEXT 

UNA Men's Tennis returns to the court next on Jan. 26, traveling to Nashville, Tenn. to face Belmont at 3 p.m.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.