Mississippi State
Alabama
Bulldog Netmen Drop 4-3 Heartwrencher To Alabama
January 01, 1970 | Men's Tennis
State dropped to 3-7 on the year and 0-4 in conference play. Alabama moved to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference, which includes an upset win Friday over No. 8 Mississippi in Tuscaloosa.
The Tide got on the board first Sunday, winning the doubles point. The first match completed came on court #3 where UA's Javier Bes and Billy Mertz downed State's Ryan Farlow and Pjotrs Necajevs 8-2. The second match complete, which clinched the doubles point for the Tide, saw Alabama's Joseph Jung and Saketh Myneni defeat State's Edouard Benchetrit and Philippe Frayssinoux 8-3. In the last match complete in doubles, MSU's tandem of Ivan Bjelica and Artem Kuznetsov upset UA's 27th-ranked Dan Buikema and Matthieu Thibaudeau 8-5.
It was evident when singles began that it would be a battle to decide the winner. Mississippi State evened the score at 1-1 when MSU's Frayssinoux downed UA's Struyf 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2. Bama's Mertz gave the Tide a 2-1 victory when he topped State's Necajevs 6-3, 6-3 on court #3.
State then gained momentum by winning the next two points. MSU tied the score at 2-2 after MSU's 42-ranked Bjelica downed UA's 84th-ranked Jung 6-4, 6-2 on court #1. State took a 3-2 lead when the sophomore Farlow outlasted UA's Buikema 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 on court #6.
State looked to be in control of the match with two courts still in play. On court #4, State freshman Kuznetsov won the first set 6-2, but fell in the second 7-5 to Bes of Alabama. In the deciding third set, Kuznetsov rallied from an early break down and took a 5-2 lead in the deciding set. Serving at 40-0, Kuznetsov would lose the next five points and the next five games, as Bes took the match with a 7-5 third-set win and evened the team score at 3-3.
The deciding match came on court #5, where three tiebreakers would decide the day's final outcome. After UA's Thibaudeau won the first set 7-6, MSU freshman Benchetrit rallied to claim a 7-6 second set win. In the third set, Thibadeau gained a 5-3 advantage with the first service break of the day for either player only to see Benchetrit return the favor and ultimately force a third-set breaker. In the tiebreaker, Benchetrit won the opening point but dropped the next seven as Thibaudeau clinched the win and the victory for the Tide.
State will continue action next week as they travel to the state of Nevada for a pair of matches. On Wednesday, State will take on Nevada in Reno at 3 p.m. CT before a match at UNLV Saturday at Noon CT.
#28 ALABAMA 4, #68 MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - 3/11/07
DOUBLES -Ivan Bjelica/Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) def. #27 Dan Buikema/Matthieu Thibaudeau (UA) 8-5; Joseph Jung/Saketh Myneni (UA) def. Edouard Benchetrit/Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) 8-3; Javier Bes/Billy Mertz (UA) def.Ryan Farlow/Pjotrs Necajevs (MSU) 8-2.
SINGLES - #42 Bjelica (MSU) def. #84 Jung (UA) 6-4, 6-2; Frayssinoux (MSU) def. Sammy Stryuf (UA) 6-4, 6-2; Billy Mertz (UA) def. Necajevs (MSU) 6-3, 6-3; Bes (UA) def. Kuznetsov (MSU) 2-6, 7-5, 7-5; Thibaudeau (UA) def. Benchetrit (MSU) 7-6, 6-7, 7-6; Farlow (MSU) def. Buikema (UA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)
