The MSU men’s and women’s tennis teams earned several victories this weekend in their first matches of the season.
Friday, after receiving a first-round bye, senior Philippe Frayssinoux and sophomore Pjotrs Necajevs triumphed over Louisville’s team of Kenneth Nordheim and Morten Sivertsen 8-5 in the A1 flight doubles draw, earning a chance in the semifinals. During the semifinals, Frayssinoux and Necajevs earned another victory over MTSU’s Marc Rocafort and Morgan Richard for a spot in the final match.
The duo of junior Ryan Farlow and freshman Maximilien Genuini earned a spot in the semifinals by defeating the Western Kentucky team of Chad True and Andy True in the second round with a score of 8-4.
Farlow and Genuini were defeated in the semifinals by MTSU’s Joeo Paoliello and Richard Cowden with a score of 8-6. In the finals, Frayssinoux and Necajevs won 8-1 against Paoliello and Cowden claiming the doubles title.
Frayssinoux downed Kenneth Nordheim of Louisville on Saturday to advance to the final four of the draw.
During that semifinal match, Frayssinoux won over MTSU’s Morgan Richard, moving to 2-0 in the season.
In the Championship Flight, Necajevs dropped a three-set match 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(5), to Amrit Narasimhan of Memphis, who is ranked 98th nationally. Necajevs dropped the consolation match 6-2, 3-6, 1-0(5) to Louisville’s Viktor Maksimcuk.
Seven MSU netters began the season this weekend at the fifth annual Ole Miss Fall Classic.
On Friday, Bulldog junior netter Elna de Villiers and sophomore Valeriya Makarycheva defeated the Southern Illinois team of Martina Ce and Michaela Cruise 8-1 to earn a chance at the semifinals of the Red Draw. They then downed Southern Mississippi’s Shannon Rogers and Ali Blackett with a score of 8-6.
The MSU team of junior Martina Banikova and sophomore Radka Ferancova and of junior Daniela Juskova and senior Renee Joseph each dropped the opening round in Blue Draw. However, both teams won their first round match-ups in consolation play.
In the Silver Draw, Makarycheva competed in the singles competition winning 6-0, 6-4 against Southern Illinois’ Andrea Courtney.
In White Draw, junior Tatiana Feit downed Memphis’ Lindsey Wiseman 6-2, 6-0. During Red Draw, Joseph won 6-2, 6-0 over Brittany Serret of Southern Mississippi.
Leonie Guijt of Troy defeated de Villiers in a three-set match with scores of 6-2, 3-6 and 6-4 during the Red Draw.
In the Blue Draw, Ferancova dropped the match 6-2, 6-0, against Michaela Babicova of Southern Alabama.
Finishing Friday’s section of the tournament, Banikova triumphed over Kim Van der Horst of Louisiana-Lafayette 6-1, 6-3.
On Saturday, Joseph defeated Angela Dangood of Louisiana-Lafayette in a three-set match with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. After that victory, Joseph won 6-3, 6-2 over Renee Branker of Arkansas State.
In the quarterfinals of the Silver Draw, Makarycheva won over Eloah Lopes of Jacksonville State with scores of 6-2, 6-3. Makarycheva dropped 6-1, 6-2 matches to Leydi Zora of Arkansas State.
In the doubles competition, Banikova and Feracova defeated Majorie Ondeck and Lindsey Wiseman of Memphis 8-2 to advance to the Blue Consolation Draw finals.
Finishing up the doubles competition, de Villiers and Makarycheva lost 8-6 to Koukhartchouk and Yana Kireeva of host Mississippi in the Blue Draw semifinals.