Tigers sweep doubles point and ride three straight-set singles victories to a statement 4-2 SEC road triumph in Norman.
The No. 13 Auburn Tigers women's tennis delivered one of its most impressive performances of the spring Thursday night, defeating No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners women's tennis 4-2 on the road to open conference play 2-0.
In a matchup featuring two nationally ranked programs and postseason implications, Auburn leaned on its doubles dominance and clutch singles play to silence a hostile Norman crowd and improve to 17-1 overall.
“Good win for the girls,” head coach Jordan Szabo said. “Great doubles point. Oklahoma is a tough place to play, and they have a great team that is really well coached. We got some revenge from last year, and I’m excited about the win.”
🎾 Doubles Dominance Sets the Tone
Auburn seized early momentum behind Ashton Bowers and Ekaterina Khairutdinova, who secured a 6-4 victory at the No. 1 spot — their 13th consecutive doubles win to open the spring season.
At No. 2 doubles, Angella Okutoyi and Merna Refaat battled Oklahoma’s Evialina Laskevich and Edda Mamedova in a tightly contested showdown. The Auburn duo prevailed 7-5, clinching the critical doubles point and giving the Tigers a 1-0 edge.
On the road in SEC play, that early advantage proved pivotal.
Auburn’s depth carried the match through singles competition.
Merna Refaat improved to 7-1 in dual-match singles with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory over Chloe Noel.
Angella Okutoyi extended Auburn’s lead to 3-0 with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles.
Oklahoma responded with straight-set wins at the No. 1 and No. 6 positions, trimming the deficit to 3-2 and injecting tension into the match.
But Auburn senior Ekaterina Khairutdinova rose to the moment against No. 18 Julia Garcia Ruiz. After capturing the first set 6-4, she held steady in a tightly contested second set, closing out the match 6-4, 7-5 to clinch the team victory.
The win evens the all-time series at 2-2 and marks Auburn’s fourth triumph over a top-15 opponent this season — a résumé booster with postseason seeding implications.
📊 What This Means for Auburn
With the victory, Auburn improves to:
- 17-1 overall
- 2-0 in conference play
- 4 wins over Top-15 opponents
The Tigers are quickly establishing themselves as a legitimate SEC and national contender, blending experienced leadership with consistent doubles success and balanced singles production.
Next up: Auburn returns home for its SEC home opener against Arkansas, followed by a matchup with Eastern Kentucky at the Yarbrough Tennis Center. Admission is free, and fans will receive complimentary Moe’s BBQ while supplies last.
Live streaming and scoring will be available via AuburnTigers.com.
If Thursday night was any indication, Auburn isn’t just chasing rankings — it’s building a postseason profile worthy of a deep NCAA run.
#AuburnTennis🎾, #WarEagle🦅, #SECTennis, #Top15Win🔥, #CollegeTennis, #NCAATennis, #RoadWarriors, #TELLITLIKEITISSports🎾,
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-- By Masakela P. Rawls
Frank Atkinson contributed to this report.
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