Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Bulldog Netmen Fall In Dramatic 4-3 Match To Vanderbilt
March 30, 2008 | Men's Tennis
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The 38th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team dropped its second straight 4-3 match, falling Sunday in dramatic fashion to 35th-ranked Vanderbilt at the Curry Tennis Center on the Vanderbilt campus. State fell to 8-8 overall this season and 2-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
The Bulldogs would break on top to begin the match as they took the doubles point, winning two of three matches. The first complete came on court #1 where MSU's team of Ivan Bjelica and Philippe Frayssinoux fell 8-3 to Vanderbilt's Ryan Preston and Vijay Paul. State responded as Ryan Farlow and Pjotrs Necajevs downed Commodores Nick Cromydas and Bryant Salcedo 8-4 on court #2. On court #3, the Bulldog duo of Chris Doerr and Tanner Stump held on for an 8-5 victory over Evan Dufaux and Adam Baker, giving MSU the early lead.
Vanderbilt responded early in singles as the Commodores won the first set on four of six courts. VU tied the match at 1-1 as VU's 101st-ranked Paul ousted State's Doerr 6-2, 6-2 on court #3. Commodore Salcedo gave Vandy a 2-1 edge when he defeated MSU freshman Antonio Lastre 6-1, 6-3 at the #5 spot.
MSU's 37th-ranked Ivan Bjelica responded with a 6-4, 6-2 win over VU's 75th-ranked Preston on court #1, knotting the match at 2-2. The Commodores came back to take a 3-2 advantage when James Moye topped MSU's Necajevs 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 on court #6. Meanwhile on court #4, MSU's Farlow rallied for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over VU's Dufaux, evening the score at 3-3.
The attention would then focus to a fierce battle in the decisive match on court #2 between MSU's 50th-ranked Frayssinoux and Vandy's Cromydas. Frayssinoux took the first set 7-6(6) in a tiebreaker for the early advantage. Cromydas would then respond in the second set, taking it 6-3. Despite breaking serve twice in the final set and having two opportunities for a third break late in the set, Frayssinoux could not hang on as Cromydas fought back for a 7-5 win.
With the loss, State falls to 31-9 in the series with Vanderbilt dating back to 1969. Bjelica won his fourth straight at the #1 position while the tandem of Doerr and Stump moved to 6-2 on the year at the #3 spot.
State will return home next weekend as they Bulldogs face LSU Friday, April 4 followed by a meeting with Arkansas Sunday, April 6.
#35 Vanderbilt 4, #38 Mississippi State 3
Nashville, Tenn.-3/30/08
Doubles-Ryan Preston/Vijay Paul (VU) def. Ivan Bjelica/Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) 8-3; Ryan Farlow/Pjotrs Necajevs (MSU) def. Nick Cromydas/Bryant Salcedo (VU) 8-4; Chris Doerr/Tanner Stump (MSU) def. Evan Dufaux/Adam Baker (VU) 8-5.
Singles-#37 Bjelica (MSU) def. #75 Preston (VU) 6-4, 6-2; Cromydas (VU) def. #50 Frayssinoux (MSU) 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5; #101 Paul (VU) def. Doerr (MSU) 6-2, 6-2; Farlow (MSU) def. Dufaux (VU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3; Salcedo (VU) def. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 6-1, 6-3; James Moye (VU) def. Necajevs (MSU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
Players Mentioned
