Mississippi State’s lone remaining combatants in the Icy Hot/ITA All-American Hardcourt Championships, Luiz Carvalho and Jose-Carlos Pinto, proved to the college tennis circuit that they are a force to be reckoned with.
In the first round of doubles competition, the Dawgs’ dynamic duo played Thomas Schoeck and Luke Shields of Boise State. This first match proved to be a nail-biter, as the tandem would win in a tiebreaker 9-8(0).
Although they went to extended play again Friday, Carvalho and Pinto proved once again why they are ranked in the Top 15.
In the second round, Carvalho and Pinto terminated the University of Tennessee’s team of Ockie Oosthuizen and Ben Rogers 9-7. This loss would be the UT pair’s first one to a ranked team this season.
Later in quarterfinals, Carvalho and Pinto earned the biggest win in their doubles history together, as they defeated the No. 2 team of Ludovic Walter and Jason Zimmerman 8-6.
“Luiz and Jose have really done some great things over the past two days,” said MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard. “We are glad to see them playing doubles this well. They were close to breaking out last year with some wins as big as the ones today, but never quite got there. We are extremely proud of their efforts this week and hope they continue this type of play not only tomorrow but the rest of the year.”
However, the Dawg duo stumbled. The winning streak in the ITA ended with a defeat at the rackets of Scott Green and Ross Wilson, Ohio State’s 34th-ranked tandem.
Although Carvalho and Pinto played hard, they just were not able to overcome the play of their opponents and lost 8-3.
“Luiz and Jose were ready to play today and they played a good match. The Ohio State guys just played a little better,” Guichard said. “But we are very proud of what they were able to accomplish this week. They showed what they are capable of doing when they focus themselves for every match.”
Carvalho and Pinto’s win in the quarterfinals assures them a place in the ITA National Indoor Championships in November. The tandem is one of only 16 doubles teams allowed in the field of play.
The Dawgs’ next tennis tournament will be held this weekend, Oct. 14-18, in Memphis, Tenn.