Mississippi State University Team Page
STARKVILLE, Miss. – On a rainy Sunday afternoon, the Mississippi State men’s tennis squad (7-0) defeated No. 53 South Alabama (2-3) and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-8) to sweep the day’s doubleheader. Both contests were played in McCarthy Gymnasium due to rainy conditions throughout the day.
MSU’s 7-0 start to the 2013 season matches the program’s best since 1998’s NCAA Semifinal squad also started 7-0.
State started out the first match against No. 53 South Alabama with a dominating 6-4, 6-1 victory from No. 81 Malte Stropp against USA’s Alex Bernard at the No. 2 spot. However, the Jaguars answered back on court one with an upset of No. 25 Romain Bogaerts 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 by USA’s Daniel Leitner to even the score at 1-1.
From there the Bulldogs won three straight from senior James Chaudry at No. 3 6-1, 6-2, freshman Jordan Angus at the fourth position 6-2, 6-0, and the match-clinching victory from junior Zach White at No. 5 6-1, 6-2.
State added a 7-6(4), 5-7, 1-0(9) victory from freshman Pedro Dumont against USA’s Juan Troglia at the No. 6 position to close out the 5-1 victory.
State returned to play a little more than an hour after defeating the No. 53 Jaguars to face the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles back in McCarthy. This time around the Bulldogs coasted to a 5-0 victory.
In his second match of the day, No. 25 Bogaerts wasted no time rebounding from his setback earlier, posting a 6-1, 6-2 victory from the No. 2 position. State’s Angus followed suited with an impressive victory against TTU’s Artem Tarasov, only dropping one game en route to a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Perhaps the match’s most entertaining contest came from the MSU junior Stropp, the 81st-ranked player in the nation. Stropp battled at the top spot against TTU’s undefeated Syrym Abdukhalikov, fighting through a nearly three-hour long match to come back and win 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3.
The clinching win for the second match came at the No. 5 position, as MSU freshman Stefan Vinti defeated the Golden Eagles’ Alvaro Cintas 6-1, 6-0.
In the last two matches of the day, MSU’s Dumont dominated a third-set supertiebreaker to claim a 6-2, 1-6, 1-0(2) victory over Vasily Emereev, while State senior Ethan Wilkinson’s match against TTU’s Othon Lima was suspended after Wilkinson won the first set 6-1.
“We got through a long and difficult day with two wins, which was the goal,” head coach Per Nilsson said. “Malte Stropp really showed what our team should be about and I hope some of the younger players took notice.”
Mississippi State will now await the draw for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Seattle, Wash., set for February 15-18. The draw will be released early this week. MSU will be in competition among 16 of the nation’s top teams that have advanced to the National Indoors.
For more information on Mississippi State men’s tennis, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (www.twitter.com/mstatemt) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mstatemt).
No. 10 Mississippi State 5, No. 53 South Alabama 1
February 10, 2013 – McCarthy Gymnasium – Starkville, Miss.
Singles
1) Daniel Leitner (USA) def. No. 25 Romain Bogaerts (MSU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
2) No. 81 Malte Stropp (MSU) def. Alex Bernard (USA) 6-4, 6-1
3) James Chaudry (MSU) def. Cody Hall (USA) 6-1, 6-2
4) Jordan Angus (MSU) def. Gerhard Gruindelingh (USA) 6-2, 6-0
5) Zach White (MSU) def. Shavann Vaezzadeh (USA) 6-1, 6-2
6) Pedro Dumont (MSU) def. Juan Troglia (USA) 7-6(4), 5-7, 1-0(9)
Order of finish… Singles (2,1,3,4,5,6), Doubles (not contested)
No. 10 Mississippi State 5, Tennessee Tech 0
February 10, 2013 – McCarthy Gymnasium – Starkville, Miss.
Singles
1) No. 81 Malte Stropp (MSU) def. Syrym Abdukhalikov (TTU) 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3
2) No. 25 Romain Bogaerts (MSU) def. Alejandro Augusto (TTU) 6-1, 6-2
3) Jordan Angus (MSU) def. Artem Tarasov (TTU) 6-0, 6-1
4) Stefan Vinti (MSU) def. Alvaro Cintas (TTU) 6-1, 6-0
5) Pedro Dumont (MSU) def. Vasily Emereev (TTU) 6-2, 1-6, 1-0(2)
6) Ethan Wilkinson (MSU) vs. Othon Lima (TTU) 6-1 (susp.)
Order of finish… Singles (2,3,1,4,5), Doubles (not contested)
