STARKVILLE — No. 14 Mississippi State took a 3-0 lead over seventh-ranked Tennessee in the regular season home finale at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on Friday.
The Bulldogs, however, were unable to prevail, as the Volunteers rallied to win 4-3 after a close third set on the final court.
MSU (15-6, 7-3 SEC) started the afternoon by dominating the doubles point. Carles Hernandez and Dusan Milanovic defeated Filip Aplauer and Younes Lalami 6-1. No. 22 Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez sealed the deal on Monday, defeating eighth-ranked Angel Diaz and Johannus 6-3.
It was the highest-ranked of Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez’s eight wins together this season.
The Bulldogs’ success continued early in singles. Sanchez Martinez easily defeated Diaz 6-2, 6-3. Hernandez, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, also defeated Chris Li 6-2, 6-2 on senior day, improving to a team-leading 15-4 record in dual match action.
Tennessee (20-4, 9-1 SEC) won the following three matches, leaving the outcome up to Court 2. Jovanovic, ranked 42nd in singles, went shot for shot with No. 37 Shunsuke Mitsui over three sets.
Mitsui won the first-set tiebreaker 7-6(3), but Jovanovic evened things up with a 7-5 win in the second set. The
Mitsui defeated Jovanovic 6-4 in the deciding set, giving the Vols their sixth straight win.
State finishes the regular season with back-to-back away games. The Bulldogs open that stretch at noon on Sunday against Auburn, which is rated 32nd.
The Tigers are 14-8 overall this year and 5-4 in conference play. They ended a three-match losing streak by defeating No. 23 Alabama 4-3 at home on Friday.
No. 45 Tyler Stice leads Auburn’s singles roster, followed by 101st-ranked Finn Murgett. Murgett also forms the nation’s No. 37 doubles duo with Raul Dobai.
Mississippi State wins the rivalry with Auburn 33-21 overall and 15-10 on The Plains. The Bulldogs have won 14 of their previous 15 games versus the Tigers, including nine straight.
MSU won.
Last year in Starkville, they went 4-3. Malesevic defeated Stice 6-1, 3-6, and 7-5 in that match. Hernandez and Sanchez Martinez both added singles victories to the Bulldog cause.
No. 7 Tennessee 4; No. 14 Mississippi State 3.
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, Starkville, Mississippi, April 5, 2024.
Doubles 1. No. 22. Petar Jovanovic/Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) defeated No. 8 Monday (TENN): Angel Diaz / Johannes 6-3
2. Nemanja Malesevic/Michal Novansky (MSU) vs No. 50 Shunsuke Mitsui / Filip Pieczonka (TENN) 4–3, incomplete
3. Carles Hernandez/Dusan Milanovic (MSU) defeated Filip Apltauer/Younes Lalami (TENN). 6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1)
Singles: 1. No. 4. Johannus Monday (TENN) defeated No. 107. Nemanja Malesevic (MSU) 7–6(5), 6-3
2. No. 37 Shunsuke Mitsui (TENN) defeated No. 42. Petar Jovanovic (MSU) 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4.
3. Carles Hernandez (MSU) def.
Chris Li (TENN) 6-2, 6-2
4. Filip Pieczonka (TENN) def. Dusan Milanovic (MSU) 6-3, 7-6(6)
5. Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) def. Angel Diaz (TENN) 6-2, 6-3
6. James Newton (TENN) def. Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: (5,3,6,1,4,2)
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