STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women’s tennis fell 6-1 in its regular season finale to No. 14 Tennessee at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
No. 95 Emmanouela Antonaki claimed the lone victory for the Bulldogs. Antonaki earned her fourth ranked win of the season for her senior day as she defeated No. 21 Elza Tomase 6-1, 5-7, 6-0. The win moves Antonaki to 28 career ranked wins.
“She almost let another one slip,” head coach Daryl Greenan said. “You could just see that she was determined to not let it happen again today and came out in the third set and got it done. I’m happy for her and I’m proud of her, she’s been such a consistent performer and turned into such a great leader for this team. I’m just happy for her to get that win on senior day.”
Gia Cohen and Dharani Niroshan fell to ranked foes. Cohen fell 6-3 to Tennessee’s 26th-ranked Rebeka Mertena in the first set and forced a tiebreaker in the second set, but ultimately Cohen lost 7-6(3). No. 39 Daria Kuczer beat MSU’s Niroshan 6-2, 6-3.
Alexandra Mikhailuk dropped to Eleonora Molinaro 7-5, 6-3 as did Sydney Hrehor to Lauren Anzalotta 6-2, 6-0. Emily Surcey fell in the first set to Esther Adeshina 6-2 and forced a tiebreaker in the second set, but Adeshina took the match with a 7-6(3) win.
The Volunteers also claimed the doubles point. The 40th-ranked duo of Adeshina and Mertena took down Antonaki and Niroshan 6-3 while Kuczer and Molinaro beat Mikhailuk and McKee 6-2.
Cohen and Maddie Bemisderfer were leading Anzalotta and Catherine Aulia 4-3 when the doubles point was clinched.
Prior to the match, the Bulldogs celebrated its four seniors in Antonaki, Bemisderfer, Cohen and McKee.
“It was a nice senior day, aside from the loss,” Greenan said. “Tennessee is a good. We never quit and we got to see every senior out there, and everybody did a great job. They were all excited and rallying for each other. It was a good performance overall.”
The Bulldogs will take on Kentucky at the SEC Championship on Wednesday in Fayetteville, Ark.
For more information on the Bulldog women’s tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateWT” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
No. 14 Tennessee 6, Mississippi State 1
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre | Starkville, Miss.
April 16, 2023
Doubles
1. #40 Esther Adeshina/Rebeka Mertena (TENN) def. Emmanouela Antonaki/Dharani…
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