GAINESVILLE, Fla. – MSU’s women’s tennis team will face the No. 5 seed Arkansas in the second round of the SEC Championship at 8 a.m. CT.
Mississippi State’s 64th-ranked squad (12-14, 2-11 SEC) took down Missouri by a score of 4-2 in the first round of the SEC Championship on Wednesday.
The Razorbacks (15-8, 8-5 SEC) are ranked 30th in the nation and have won three of their past four matches. Arkansas is led by graduate Tatum Rice who is ranked 68th in singles and, along with Morgan Cross, is ranked 45th in doubles.
The last time State faced Arkansas on the courts was on April 8th where the Razorbacks won 4-2. However, the Bulldogs have won five of their last eight meetings against Arkansas including a meeting at the 2016 SEC Championship where MSU won 4-1.
In singles play, No. 76 Emmanouela Antonaki has won four consecutive SEC matches and clinched MSU’s opening round win over Missouri with a comeback win over Bronte Murgett 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.
Junior Marta Falceto has excelled over her past nine decisions with eight wins. Falceto also leads the team with seven wins against SEC opponents.
Chloé Cirotte, the reigning ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year, has defeated seven of her last nine opponents, six of which have been against SEC opponents.
The duo of Antonaki and Falceto have been a cornerstone for MSU in doubles play. They have won six straight as well as eight of their last nine matches. This includes a 6-4 victory over Arkansas’ Laura Rijkers and Lenka Stara.
Also, the tandem of Antonaki and Falceto have won eight matches in the No. 2 spot, the most of any duo at any spot this spring.
Another highlight in doubles play has been the pairing of Chloé Cirotte and Alexandra Mikhailuk, which have garnered three victories in only four decisions played together.
With one doubles win, Cirotte has a chance to become one of three Bulldogs since the 2016-17 season to achieve 20 singles wins and 20 doubles wins in a single season with Jasmine Lee (16-17) and her teammate Emmanouela Antonaki (18-19, 21-22).
Senior Magda Adaloglou needs one win in singles or doubles to tie teammate, and fellow Greek
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Mississippi State…