Mississippi State
Arkansas
Bulldog Netmen Fall In Tight 4-3 Affair To Arkansas
April 06, 2008 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - For the third time in the last four matches, the 49th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 match as they fell to Arkansas Sunday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in their home finale. The Bulldogs fell to 8-10 overall and 2-8 in Southeastern Conference play with the loss.
Arkansas (11-11, 3-7 SEC) scratched first, winning the first two doubles matches to claim the opening point. UA's team of Taylor King and Chris Nott were first off the courts as they closed out State's Ryan Farlow and Pjotrs Necajevs 8-5 on court #2. On court #1, the Arkansas pair of Matthew Hogan and Blake Strode broke serve late in the match and held on to defeat MSU's Ivan Bjelica and Philippe Frayssinoux 9-7. Play on court #3 between State's Chris Doerr and Tanner Stump and Arkansas' Colin Mascall and Tyler Tarnasky was suspended with MSU leading 6-5.
Singles play would prove to be a close battle as State and Arkansas won three first sets a piece. MSU's 57th-ranked Frayssinoux tied the team score at 1-1 as he downed Razorback Mascall 6-2, 6-2 on court #3. Arkansas would quickly strike back with a win on court #5 as UA's Chris Nott defeated MSU freshman Antonio Lastre 6-3, 6-4 to give UA a 2-1 edge. Moments later, MSU's Farlow rallied in the second set to overtake UA's Dmitry Lebedev 6-0, 6-4 on court #3 and even the score at 2-2.
Despite multiple set points in the first set on court #4, MSU's Doerr dropped a 7-5 decision to UA's Hogan. The Razorback wasted no time in solidifying his lead in the second set, as he closed out Doerr 6-2 to give Arkansas a 3-2 advantage. Meanwhile on court #6, State freshman Maximilien Genuini rallied from a 5-2 first-set deficit to Bradwin Williams of Arkansas, but ultimately fell in a tiebreaker 7-6(5). Williams stormed to an early second set lead as he closed out Genuini 6-2 to clinch the win for the Razorbacks.
In the last remaining match, MSU's 26th-ranked Bjelica held off a late charge from UA's 99th-ranked Strode to take a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in the final home match of his career.
With the loss, State now leads Arkansas 19-7 in the overall series between the two programs dating back to 1969. Bjelica improved to 7-2 in SEC matches this season and captured his 11th dual match win. Frayssinoux won his 82nd career match as a Bulldog Sunday and moved within four wins of 10th on the MSU career wins list. Junior Ryan Farlow captured his 22nd win this season, including his fifth conference win.
MSU will conclude its regular season slate next Saturday, April 12 when they travel to Oxford, Miss., to test arch rival Mississippi. Match time is set for 11 a.m. CT at UM's Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
#47 Arkansas 4, #49 Mississippi State 3
STARKVILLE, Miss.-4/6/08
Doubles-Matthew Hogan/Blake Strode (UA) def. Ivan Bjelica/Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) 9-7; Taylor King/Chris Nott (UA) def. Ryan Farlow/Pjotrs Necajevs (MSU) 8-5; Chris Doerr/Tanner Stump (MSU) vs. Colin Mascall/Tyler Tarnasky (UA) MSU led 6-5, susp.
Singles-#26 Bjelica (MSU) def. #99 Strode (UA) 6-4, 7-6(4) ; #57 Frayssinoux (MSU) def. Mascall (UA) 6-2, 6-2; Farlow (MSU) def. Dmitry Lebedev (UA) 6-0, 6-4; Hogan (UA) def. Doerr (MSU) 7-5, 6-2; Nott (UA) def. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 6-3, 6-4; Bradwin Williams (UA) def. Maximilien Genuini (MSU) 7-6(5), 6-2.
Players Mentioned
