STARKVILLE – No. 14 Mississippi State closed out its regular season home slate with a 6-1 victory over 60th-ranked Arkansas on Easter Sunday.
The Bulldogs (19-5, 7-4 SEC) have been dominant on their home courts this season, posting a 15-1 mark between the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre and the Rula Tennis Pavilion. MSU has also found success against the Razorbacks of late, winning 15 of the last 16 meetings.
“It was a great day for the team because we wanted to end our regular season at home on a good note,” said senior Ewen Lumsden.
The Bulldogs started the day strong by securing the doubles point for the first time since their victory over second-ranked South Carolina on March 19. Gregor Ramskogler and Benito Sanchez Martinez breezed by Benedikt Emesz and Jakob Mosvold 6-1 before the 73rd-ranked tandem of Lumsden and Petar Jovanovic clinched the point with their 6-4 victory over Stefanos Scovva and Alan Sau Franco.
State was also in solid position in on Court 1 with Nemanja Malesevic and Michal Novansky ahead of the nation’s No. 70 team of Adrien Burdet and Melvin Manuel 5-3 when the doubles point was clinched.
“(Coach) Matt (Roberts) told us last night that we were allowed to have brownies and cheesecake if we won the doubles point,” Lumsden said. “We did that. It just helps us a lot when we win the doubles point because we know we’re so strong in singles. It’s just a bonus to win the doubles point.”
The Bulldogs went on to win the first three singles matches to claim victory over Arkansas. Lumsden, ranked 93rd in singles, dominated Burdet 6-2, 6-0 and has now won 11 of his last 13 matches. Jovanovic topped Manuel in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 and No. 118 Malesevic secured victory against Scovva 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 for his team-leading sixth clinch of the season.
No. 125 Hernadez pushed the score to 5-0 with his 6-7(4), 6-3, 1-0[4] comeback win over Sau Franco. Sanchez Martinez closed out the afternoon with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) victory against Gerard Planelles Ripoll.
The Bulldogs’ only blemish of the day came on Court 6 with Novansky falling in three sets to Emesz 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The loss dropped the Hogs to 12-12 overall and they remain winless in conference play at 0-11.
Prior to Sunday’s match, Mississippi State honored the graduating class of Lumsden, Ramskogler, Patrick Lazo and Seth Richey. The…
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