Mississippi State
ITA All-American Championships
Two Bulldogs Advance To Final Round Of Qualifying At All-American
October 06, 2009 | Men's Tennis
"Louis (Cant) beat one of the top players in the country and played incredible," said head coach Per Nilsson. "(George) Coupland had to come from behind to win, but showed a lot of heart in doing so. We have one more step to take before we get to the main draw so we cannot lose focus."
MSU's 109th-nationally ranked Coupland won his second match in two days over another ranked opponent and moved to 3-2 in the fall season, by taking down No. 120 Anton Bobytskyi of Oklahoma State in come-from-behind fashion, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Coupland will face 56th-ranked Lee Singer of Virginia in the final round of qualifying; the winner will advance to the main draw of the event.
The Bulldogs' Cant upset the 10th-seeded and 57th-ranked Nick Meister of UCLA in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, moving to a perfect 8-0 in fall play. It was the first ranked victory of the sophomore's career. Cant will face Kentucky's Eric Quigley, who stands nationally at No. 70, in round three of qualifying play, looking to advance to the main draw of the tournament.
State's 83rd-ranked sophomore Artem Ilyushin ended his fall winning streak, slipping up against Tennessee's Matt Brewer in a tight three-set bout, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, ending Ilyushin's bid at the ITA All-American Championships.
In first round qualifying doubles action, the Bulldog tandem of Coupland and Ilyushin won easily in an upset bid over the third-seed and 31st-ranked Stanford team of Matthew Kandath and Richard Wire, 8-2. Following their first round upset, Coupland and Ilyushin fell to Maxime Armengaud and Jeremy Langer of Indiana, 9-7, to fall out of competition.
Also in first round qualifying doubles play, MSU's team of Cant and Lastre took down the Hawaii duo Philipp Eberhard and Dmytro Kovalyov, in a tight battle, 9-8(6), followed with a 8-2 loss to the Virginia Tech tandem Patrick Daciek and Yoann Re, knocking Cant and Lastre out of the doubles event.
MState's Cant and Coupland will play their final singles match in qualifying at the ITA All-American Championships on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and if victorious will advance to the main draw of the event, which begins on Thursday Oct. 8.
D'NOVO/ITA ALL-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tulsa, Okla. - 10/6/09
QUALIFYING - SINGLES
Second Round - #109 George Coupland (MSU) def. #120 Anton Bobytskyi (Oklahoma State) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Louis Cant (MSU) def. #57 Nick Meister (UCLA) 6-3, 6-1; Matt Brewer (Tennessee) def. #83 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
QUALIFYING - DOUBLES
First Round - Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. #31 Matthew Kandath/Richard Wire (Stanford) 8-2; Cant/Lastre (MSU) def. Philipp Eberhard/Dmytro Kovalyov (Hawaii) 9-8(6).
Second Round - Maxime Armengaud/Jeremy Langer (Indiana) def. Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) 9-7; Patrick Daciek/Yoann Re (Virginia Tech) def. Cant/Lastre (MSU) 8-2.
