Sophomore George Coupland sweeps his matches in day on of Virginia Tech Cha...
Mississippi State University Team Page
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Mississippi State men’s tennis split their eight singles matches and came out on top in three of their four doubles matches on the first day of the Virginia Tech Challenge in Blacksburg, Va. The Bulldogs were paired against the Clemson Tigers for Friday’s play.
109th-ranked sophomore, George Coupland got things started good for the Bulldogs, taking down Derek DiFazio in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in Flight A. Coupland has now won six of his previous seven matches and improved his fall singles record to 9-4. State’s sophomore Louis Cant continued his impressive fall with a victory in Flight C over Rok Bizjak, 6-4, 6-3, and increased his team-leading fall wins to 12.
In Flight E, MSU’s sophomore Max Gregor Smith won with ease in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, over Robert Pietrucha. The Bulldogs’ lone-senior Chris Doerr won his fifth match of the fall, taking down Kevin Galloway, 6-3, 6-2, in Flight F play.
MState’s 83rd-ranked sophomore, Artem Ilyushin dropped only his third match of the fall against No. 80 Carlos Alvarez, in a tight-three set bout 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, in Flight B. MSU’s Antonio Lastre slipped up in Flight D to Gera Boryachinskiy, 7-6(3), 6-4. It was only Lastre’s third loss of the fall. Tanner Stump of Mississippi State claimed the first set before dropping the last two and losing the match in Flight G against Wesley Moran, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Sophomore Hrehan Hakeem of State dropped a two-set battle in Flight H to Zachary Rigsby, 7-5, 6-4.
In Flight A doubles action, the Bulldog tandem of Coupland and Ilyushin blanked the Tiger duo of Alvarez and Boryachinskiy, 8-0. MSU’s team of Lastre and Smith earned a victory over Rigsby and Pietrucha of Clemson, 8-3, in Flight C. In Flight D, State’s Hakeem and Stump defeated the Tiger tandem of Galloway and Moran, 8-5. MState’s duo of Cant and Doerr fell in a tiebreaking match in Flight B to Bizjak and DiFazio, 8-7(5).
The Bulldogs will resume play at the Virginia Tech Challenge tomorrow, with two days remaining in the event.
VIRGINIA TECH CHALLENGE
Blacksburg, Va. – 11/6/09
FLIGHT A – SINGLES
#109 George Coupland (MSU) def. Derek DiFazio (Clemson) 6-4, 6-3.
FLIGHT B – SINGLES
#80 Carlos Alvarez (Clemson) def. #83 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
FLIGHT C – SINGLES
Louis Cant (MSU) def. Rok Bizjak (Clemson) 6-4, 6-3.
FLIGHT D – SINGLES
Gera Boryachinskiy (Clemson) def. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 7-6(3), 6-4.
FLIGHT E – SINGLES
Max Gregor Smith (MSU) def. Robert Pietrucha (Clemson) 6-2, 6-1.
FLIGHT F – SINGLES
Chris Doerr (MSU) def. Kevin Galloway (Clemson) 6-3, 6-2.
FLIGHT G – SINGLES
Wesley Moran (Clemson) def. Tanner Stump (MSU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
FLIGHT H – SINGLES
Zachary Rigsby (Clemson) def. Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) 7-5, 6-4.
FLIGHT A – DOUBLES
Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. Alvarez/Boryachinskiy (Clemson) 8-0
FLIGHT B – DOUBLES
Bizjak/DiFazio (Clemson) def. Cant/Doerr (MSU) 8-7(5)
FLIGHT C –DOUBLES
Lastre/Smith (MSU) def. Rigsby/Pietrucha (Clemson) 8-3.
FLIGHT D – DOUBLES
Hakeem/Stump (MSU) def. Galloway/Moran (Clemson) 8-5.
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