MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The men's tennis team wrapped up play at the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic on Sunday with a 4-0 loss to 49th-ranked Alabama on Sunday morning. Having primarily played teams ranked above it by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, 59th-ranked Cornell fell to 5-8 on the season.
 
Against the Crimson Tide, Cornell dropped the doubles point with losses at the Nos. 1 and 3 spots. The Big Red then split the first sets of the six singles matches, spurred by the bottom of the order. Freshmen Alex Sidney (No. 4), Quoc-Daniel Nguyen (No. 5) and Jason Luu (No. 6) all took the first set of their respective matches.
 
But Alabama wrapped up straight-set victories at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots to take a three-point stranglehold on the match, also knotting the tilts at No. 5 and 6. Cornell sophomore Venkat Iyer fought back to force a third set at No. 1, but the Crimson Tide closed out the match with a victory at No. 6.
 
After Friday's matches were postponed by rain, the Big Red played matches against two of the nation's top teams Saturday. The Big Red fell to 15th-ranked Mississippi State, 4-0, before falling to 14th-ranked Auburn, 4-2.
 
On Saturday, the scoring format was modified to play-to-decision – meaning the match ended the moment a team gained its fourth point to clinch the victory. This format also changed doubles play to an as-necessary basis.
 
In the opener, 59th-ranked Cornell was defeated in straight sets in four of the six singles matches. The Bulldogs were one game away from winning a fifth, but Iyer was up by a set in his No. 1 singles match against 71st-ranked Arten Ilyushin of the Bulldogs.
 
The afternoon match featured a pair of Big Red singles victories from freshman Danny Riggs and Luu at the Nos. 3 and 6 spots, respectively. Riggs was even after a pair of games in his match, but Auburn's Dennis Lengsfeld retired to give the Big Red the match's first point. Luu defeated Rafael Rondino in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to account for Cornell's other point. Freshman Sam Fleck forced a third set at No. 2 before falling to Auburn's Alex Stamchev in the match-clincher.
 
After six straight matches on the road, the Big Red returns home for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 3 at Reis Tennis Center. A match against Illinois State kicks off the day at 11 a.m., then Cornell will face Temple at 7 p.m.
 
#49 ALABAMA 4, #59 CORNELL 0
Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic
Sunday, Feb. 26
At Lagoon Park; Montgomery, Ala.
Singles
1. Jarryd Botha (A) vs. Venkat Iyer, 6-3, 2-6, 4-3 (DNF)
2. Ricky Doverspike (A) def. Sam Fleck, 6-4, 6-3
3. Vikram Reddy (A) def. Danny Riggs, 6-3, 6-1
4. Alex Sidney (C) vs. Daniil Proskura, 6-2, 5-4 (DNF)
5. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen (C) vs. Filippos Tsangaridis, 6-2, 5-7 (DNF)
6. Carlos Taborga (A) def. Jason Luu, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Singles
1. Botha/Vieyra (A) def. #44 Iyer/Sidney, 8-4
2. Luu/Fleck (C) vs. Doverspike/Taborga, (DNF)
3. Tsangaridis/Thompson (A) def. Nguyen/Riggs, 8-2
 
#14 AUBURN 4, #59 CORNELL 2
Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic
Saturday, Feb. 25
At Lagoon Park; Montgomery, Ala.
Singles
1. #23 Andreas Mies (A) def. Venkat Iyer, 6-1, 6-1
2. Alex Stamchev (A) vs. Sam Fleck, 5-7, 6-0, 6-0
3. Danny Riggs (C) def. Dennis Lengsfeld, 1-1 retired
4. Lukas Ollert (A) def. Alex Sidney, 6-2, 7-5
5. Lucas Lopasso (A) def. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen, 6-2, 6-1
6. Jason Luu (C) def. Rafael Rondino, 6-4, 6-4
 
#15 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, #59 CORNELL 0
Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic
Saturday, Feb. 25
At Lagoon Park; Montgomery, Ala.
Singles
1. Venkat Iyer (C) vs. #71 Artem Ilyushin, 7-6(1), 1-3 (susp.)
2. James Chaudry (MSU) vs. Sam Fleck, 6-2, 5-2 (susp.)
3. #109 Malte Stropp (MSU) def. Danny Riggs, 6-2, 6-0
4. #83 Louis Cant (MSU) def. Alex Sidney, 6-2, 6-1
5. #42 George Coupland (MSU) def. Quoc-Daniel Nguyen, 6-1, 6-4
6. Zach White (MSU) def. Jason Luu, 6-1, 6-2