Mississippi State
Virginia Tech Invitational
MState Tennis Ends Fall With Three Flight Titles At Virginia Tech Challenge
November 08, 2009 | Men's Tennis
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The Mississippi State men's tennis team ended the fall season at the Virginia Tech Challenge, claiming two singles Flight championships and a doubles Flight championship. The Bulldogs concluded the three-day Flight-formatted tournament, paired against fellow-SEC member, Arkansas Razorbacks, winning six of the eight singles matches played, and splitting the four doubles matches played.
State's 109th-ranked George Coupland led the Bulldogs, completing the sweep of the event and earning the Flight A championship with his second-straight upset victory over 84th-ranked Christopher Nott in three sets, 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4. Coupland closed out his fall winning eight of his last nine matches and picked up five wins over ranked opponents.
MSU's senior Chris Doerr also went undefeated in the Virginia Tech Challenge and won the Flight F title, with his come-from-behind three set takedown of Mike Ward, 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-1. Doerr completes fall play with a 7-3 ledger, winning six of his last seven matches.
Bulldog, Louis Cant extended his team-high fall wins to 13, and won his second Flight C match in the Virginia Tech Challenge in identical sets, 6-3, 6-3, against Taylor King. MState's Antonio Lastre tied Cant for the team-lead in fall wins and won his second-straight match in straight sets over Matt Walters, 6-3, 6-4, in Flight D action.
83rd-ranked Bulldog sophomore, Artem Ilyushin, snapped a three-match skid against Matthew Hogan in Flight B. Ilyushin dropped the opening set, 2-6, before winning the final two in identical fashion, 6-3, 6-3, to claim the match. MSU's sophomore Hrehan Hakeem won his first match of the Challenge and also snapped a three-match losing streak, winning a two-set bout over Nicholas Spinazze, 6-0, 6-4.
Sophomore Max Gregor Smith of State slipped up in a tight three-set Flight E bout to Nikolas Zogaj, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. The Bulldogs' junior Tanner Stump ended the fall season with a two-set loss in Flight G against Bradwin Williams, 6-2, 7-5.
"It was a great ending of the fall," said head coach Per Nilsson. "We have played a ton of matches and learned a lot. Now it is time for us to spend some time on the practice courts and finish the semester strong in the classroom."
In doubles play, MState's team of Coupland and Ilyushin claimed the championship in Flight A after the Bulldog duo defeated the Razorback tandem Hogan and Walters, 8-6.Coupland and Ilyushin improved their fall doubles record to 8-2, and ended the fall with a three-match win streak.
State duo Cant and Doerr won their second-straight match in the Virginia Tech Challenge with an 8-4 takedown of King and Zogaj.
MSU's tandem of Lastre and Smith lost to the Flight C champions Nott and Ward of Arkansas, 8-5. Hakeem and Stump of Mississippi State slipped up to the Flight D title winners, Spinazze and Williams, 8-4.
The Bulldogs concluded their impressive fall season at the Virginia Tech Challenge, and will return to the courts on Jan. 14, at the SEC Indoor Championships, in Atlanta, Ga.
VIRGINIA TECH CHALLENGE
Blacksburg, Va. - 11/8/09
FLIGHT A - SINGLES
#109 George Coupland (MSU) def. #84 Christopher Nott (Arkansas) 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4.
FLIGHT B - SINGLES
#83 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Matthew Hogan (Arkansas) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
FLIGHT C - SINGLES
Louis Cant (MSU) def. Taylor King (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-3.
FLIGHT D - SINGLES
Antonio Lastre (MSU) def. Matt Walters (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-4.
FLIGHT E - SINGLES
Nikolas Zogaj (Arkansas) def. Max Gregor Smith (MSU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
FLIGHT F - SINGLES
Chris Doerr (MSU) def. Mike Ward (Arkansas) 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-1.
FLIGHT G - SINGLES
Bradwin Williams (Arkansas) def. Tanner Stump (MSU) 6-2, 7-5.
FLIGHT H - SINGLES
Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) def. Nicholas Spinazze (Arkansas) 6-0, 6-4.
FLIGHT A - DOUBLES
Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. Hogan/Walters (Arkansas) 8-6.
FLIGHT B - DOUBLES
Cant/Doerr (MSU) def. King/Zogaj (Arkansas) 8-4.
FLIGHT C - DOUBLES
Nott/Ward (Arkansas) def. Lastre/Smith (MSU) 8-5.
FLIGHT D - DOUBLES
Spinazze/Williams (Arkansas) def. Hakeem/Stump (MSU) 8-4.
