After a stellar finish to the fall season, the No. 14 Mississippi State University men’s tennis team saw its 2014 season get off to a superb start as the Dogs swept Jackson State University and Alabama State University in a double-header to open up 2-0 on the season.
The opening win against JSU marks the third consecutive season-opening match MSU has won and its 11th-straight home opener. 
In the match against JSU, windy conditions did not seem to bother the Bulldogs as they got off to a quick start by sweeping the doubles point and claiming victories in the singles.  The team saw a strong performance out of senior Zach White and sophomore Jordan Angus who defeated their opponents in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2, 6-2.  
In the second game of the double header against ASU, the Bulldogs picked right back up where they left off, claiming victories in both the doubles and singles again.  
Head Coach Per Nilsson said he was proud of the way his team came out and competed even with the windy conditions.
“I feel like we are supposed to win these matches,” he said. “We didn’t let down. Everybody stayed focused and took care of their stuff, which is good to see, especially from the new guys.”
The Bulldogs were without their senior leader Malte Stropp, who sat out to let some other players get playing experience.  
Newcomers Florian Lakat, Rishab Agarwal and Tassilo Schmid all earned their first victories as Bulldogs this past weekend.  
Nilsson said he was pleased with the newcomers in their MSU debuts.
“No one showed nerves really.  They took care of the things we’ve been working on in practice, and everyone got a match in so that was really great,” Nilsson said.
Lakat said he was excited to get his first win as a Bulldog. He also said there is a huge difference between high school tennis and collegiate tennis.
“It’s way different,” he said.  “In college tennis, everyone is good and you really have to be focused from the beginning to the end. It’s never over, and everyone is fighting really hard, and we’re not playing for ourselves. We’re playing for the university.”
Last season, the Bulldogs reached the NCAA round of 16 for the first time since 2001, and they are hoping to repeat that same success again this year.  
This year’s team is young, having five freshmen and only two seniors.  
Despite only having two veterans, Nilsson said he is confident in the leadership his two seniors posses.
“We need them to show the young guys what it’s like to fight when things aren’t going well,” Nilsson said. “They know the different levels of the game, so Zach and Malte are going to lead us and hopefully play the best and will lead by example.”
Even though Stropp did not play this past weekend, he said he liked what he saw out of the new freshmen and  said he embraces being a mentor to them.
“We have to teach them how to be an actual team,” Stropp said.  “College tennis is a team sport, and it’s important for me to show them what it’s like to play for MSU and be a part of a good program.”
The team will be back at home at A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre again this weekend as they host the ITA Kickoff.  
Along with MSU, No. 18 South Carolina, No. 21 Memphis, and No. 27 Harvard will be featured in the event.  
The weekend’s winner will advance to Houston, Texas, to compete in the 2014 ITA National Team Indoor Championship in mid-February. 
The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday and times are to be announced for Sunday.