MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Michigan State men’s tennis fell to No. 25 Middle Tennessee, 6-1, in its season opener Friday evening. The Spartans posted two wins in doubles, highlighted by Ozan Baris and Max Sheldon defeating the Blue Raiders’ 26th-ranked doubles team of Oscar Brostrom Poulsen and Francisco Rocha.
Middle Tennessee moves to 1-0 with the win, while MSU falls to 0-1.
The Spartans had a strong showing in doubles play with wins in the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. In addition to Baris and Sheldon’s 6-4 win at No. 1 doubles, senior Kazuki Matsuno and junior Graydon Lair defeated MTSU’s Ondrej Horak and Marcel Kamrowski, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. Junior Reed Crocker and freshman David Saye fell 3-6 to MTSU’s Pavel Motl and Stijn Slump at the No. 2 spot.
The Spartans battled hard with the Blue Raiders in singles play, forcing three sets in two of six matches matches. Baris, playing at the No. 1 singles position, fought back to force a third set after dropping the first against Slump. Baris eventually fell 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 in three sets.
Sheldon and fifth year senior Anthony Pero, playing at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions, respectively, both faced ranked opponents Friday evening. Sheldon fell to No. 109 Rocha, 2-6, 2-6, while Pero forced a third set with No. 60 Brostrom Poulsen, eventually dropping the match 1-6, 6-3, 3-6.
At No. 4 singles, junior Luke Baylis fell to Ondrej Horak, 4-6, 1-6, Saye fell to Marcel Kamrowski in a close 4-6, 5-7 match and Matsuno fell to Pavel Motl 2-6, 1-6.
Up next, the Spartans stay on the road to face No. 24 Auburn on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. ET.
Results
Singles
Stijn Slump (MTSU) def. #26 Ozan Baris (MSU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
#109 Francisco Rocha (MTSU) def. Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
#60 O. Brostrom Poulsen (MTSU) def. Anthony Pero (MSU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Ondrej Horak (MTSU) def. Luke Baylis (MSU) 6-4, 6-1
Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) def. David Saye (MSU) 6-4, 7-5
Pavel Motl (MTSU) def. Kazuki Matsuno (MSUM) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) def. #26 Brostrom Poulsen/Francisco Rocha (MTSU) 6-4
Pavel Motl/Stijn Slump (MTSU) def. Reed Crocker/David Saye (MSU) 6-3
Graydon Lair/Kazuki Matsuno (MSU) def. Ondrej Horak/Marcel Kamrowski (MTSU) 6-4
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