Mississippi State
Virginia Tech Invitational
State Tennis Through Day One Of Virginia Tech Challenge
November 06, 2009 | Men's Tennis
109th-ranked sophomore, George Coupland got things started good for the Bulldogs, taking down Derek DiFazio in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in Flight A. Coupland has now won six of his previous seven matches and improved his fall singles record to 9-4. State's sophomore Louis Cant continued his impressive fall with a victory in Flight C over Rok Bizjak, 6-4, 6-3, and increased his team-leading fall wins to 12.
In Flight E, MSU's sophomore Max Gregor Smith won with ease in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, over Robert Pietrucha. The Bulldogs' lone-senior Chris Doerr won his fifth match of the fall, taking down Kevin Galloway, 6-3, 6-2, in Flight F play.
MState's 83rd-ranked sophomore, Artem Ilyushin dropped only his third match of the fall against No. 80 Carlos Alvarez, in a tight-three set bout 6-4, 1-6, 6-4, in Flight B. MSU's Antonio Lastre slipped up in Flight D to Gera Boryachinskiy, 7-6(3), 6-4. It was only Lastre's third loss of the fall. Tanner Stump of Mississippi State claimed the first set before dropping the last two and losing the match in Flight G against Wesley Moran, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Sophomore Hrehan Hakeem of State dropped a two-set battle in Flight H to Zachary Rigsby, 7-5, 6-4.
In Flight A doubles action, the Bulldog tandem of Coupland and Ilyushin blanked the Tiger duo of Alvarez and Boryachinskiy, 8-0. MSU's team of Lastre and Smith earned a victory over Rigsby and Pietrucha of Clemson, 8-3, in Flight C. In Flight D, State's Hakeem and Stump defeated the Tiger tandem of Galloway and Moran, 8-5. MState's duo of Cant and Doerr fell in a tiebreaking match in Flight B to Bizjak and DiFazio, 8-7(5).
The Bulldogs will resume play at the Virginia Tech Challenge tomorrow, with two days remaining in the event.
VIRGINIA TECH CHALLENGE
Blacksburg, Va. - 11/6/09
FLIGHT A - SINGLES
#109 George Coupland (MSU) def. Derek DiFazio (Clemson) 6-4, 6-3.
FLIGHT B - SINGLES
#80 Carlos Alvarez (Clemson) def. #83 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
FLIGHT C - SINGLES
Louis Cant (MSU) def. Rok Bizjak (Clemson) 6-4, 6-3.
FLIGHT D - SINGLES
Gera Boryachinskiy (Clemson) def. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 7-6(3), 6-4.
FLIGHT E - SINGLES
Max Gregor Smith (MSU) def. Robert Pietrucha (Clemson) 6-2, 6-1.
FLIGHT F - SINGLES
Chris Doerr (MSU) def. Kevin Galloway (Clemson) 6-3, 6-2.
FLIGHT G - SINGLES
Wesley Moran (Clemson) def. Tanner Stump (MSU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
FLIGHT H - SINGLES
Zachary Rigsby (Clemson) def. Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) 7-5, 6-4.
FLIGHT A - DOUBLES
Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. Alvarez/Boryachinskiy (Clemson) 8-0
FLIGHT B - DOUBLES
Bizjak/DiFazio (Clemson) def. Cant/Doerr (MSU) 8-7(5)
FLIGHT C -DOUBLES
Lastre/Smith (MSU) def. Rigsby/Pietrucha (Clemson) 8-3.
FLIGHT D - DOUBLES
Hakeem/Stump (MSU) def. Galloway/Moran (Clemson) 8-5.
