No. 15 MSU Falls In Second Round Of SEC Championships

AUBURN, Ala., – No. 15 Mississippi State saw its time at the SEC Men’s Tennis Championships end abruptly with a 4-3 loss in the second round to 46^th-ranked Alabama on Thursday at Auburn’s Yarbrough Tennis Center.

The sixth-seeded Bulldogs (19-7) were without their top singles and doubles competitor, Nemanja Malesevic, in the match due to an injury that occurred during Wednesday’s practice. Malesevic is ranked 80^th nationally in singles and is one-half of the No. 57 and No. 81 doubles teams with Carles Hernandez and Michal Novansky, respectively.

MSU dropped a tight doubles point to the 11^th-seeded Crimson Tide (12-14) to begin the morning. Alabama’s Enzo Aguiard and Zach Foster won the first match 6-3 over Hernandez and Novansky. The Bulldogs’ usual No. 2 doubles team, Petar Jovanovic and Ewen Lumsden, moved up and topped Alabama’s top tandem of Filip Planinsek and German Samofalov 6-4 to even things up.

The doubles point came down to a tiebreaker on Court 3 where Gregor Ramskogler and Benito Sanchez Martinez fell 7-6(1) to Joao Ferreira and Yair Sarouk.

Undeterred, State rallied back by taking five of six first sets in singles.

Sanchez Martinez downed Roan Jones in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 to even things up. The Bulldogs took a 2-1 advantage when Jovanovic downed No. 92 Planinsek 6-3, 7-6(1).

That lead, however, was short-lived as Foster bounced back to beat Novansky in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Matias Ponce De Leon gave Alabama a 3-2 lead with his 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 103 Lumsden. No. 116 Hernandez was able to tie things back up briefly with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over No. 121 Aguiard but Sarouk sealed the match moments later with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback against Ramskogler.

Mississippi State will now await its postseason fate for the NCAA Championships. The NCAA Selection Show is set for May 1 at 5:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.

No. 46 Alabama Men’s Tennis 4, No. 15 Mississippi State 3

Yarbrough Tennis Center | Auburn, Ala.

April 20, 2023 

Doubles

1. Ewen Lumsden/Petar Jovanovic (MSU) def. Filip Planinsek/German Samofalov (UA) 6-4

2. Enzo Aguiard/Zach Foster (UA) def. Michal Novansky/Carles Hernandez (MSU) 6-3

3. Joao Ferreira/Yair Sarouk (UA) def. Gregor Ramskogler/Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) 7-6(1)

Order of finish: (2,1,3)

Singles

1. Petar Jovanovic (MSU) def. No. 92 Filip Planinsek (UA)…