The Mississippi State University men’s tennis team showed what it means to be a Mississippi State Bulldog on Sunday as they took down the Alabama Crimson Tide during an away match in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
MSU got off to a shaky start as Alabama held a 2-0 advantage over them after the Bulldogs dropped the doubles point along with the first singles match. Refusing to throw in the towel, the Bulldogs began to figure out how to get the ball back in their court.
Freshman Benito Sanchez Martinez helped build up momentum for MSU with a dominant performance against Alabama’s Roan Jones, winning 6-4 and 6-2. Assisting in the Bulldogs’ rally against the Crimson Tide, freshman No. 123 Nemanja Malsevic followed suit after defeating No. 88 Filip Paninsek in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
Even with the improvement, the Bulldogs still had work to do. Alabama ended up shifting the balance with a win over junior Carles Hernandez. With the Crimson Tide in the lead, the fate of the score was now left in the hands of graduate Ewen Lumsden and freshman Petar Jovanovic. Both players struggled with previous losses from their first sets. However, they succeeded for a Mississippi State victory on the final two courts.
Lumsden battled back from a set down to defeat Alabama’s German Samofalov, tying the score 3-3. Now off the shoulders of Lumsden, it was up to Jovanovic to carry the weight and clinch the victory for MSU. He did just that while earning his third ranked singles victory of the season.
The close 4-3 victory for Mississippi State and the back-and-forth matchup displayed the talent and determination of both teams. By the end, the Bulldogs proved that they didn’t just bark, they could bite, too.
The win improved Mississippi State’s record to 5-4 in SEC play and 17-5 overall this season. It also marked MSU’s 13th win in the last 14 matchups against Alabama, a testament to the Bulldogs’ consistency and dominance in the SEC. However, they are not resting on their laurels just yet.
In hopes of continuing the win streak, the Bulldogs look to take on No. 44 Louisiana State on Friday at 3 p.m. and No. 59 Arkansas on Sunday at 1 p.m. to close out Mississippi State’s regular season at home.