MSU Men's Tennis Drops Match To No. 13 Kentucky

Sunday, April 5

Starkville

1:00 PM

Mississippi State

Kentucky

State Women's Tennis Heads East For Pair Of Weekend Matches

MSU Men's Tennis Drops Match To No. 13 Kentucky

April 05, 2009 | Men's Tennis

By: hailstate.com

STARKVILLE, Miss. ? A banged up Mississippi State men's tennis team was not able to get on the scoreboard Sunday as No. 60 MSU fell to the visiting No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats, 4-0, in a match where singles play was contested first due to the possibility of inclement weather.

The Bulldogs fell to 5-11 on the season and 1-7 in conference play while UK snapped a two-match losing streak and improved to 14-6 this season, 4-4 in conference action.

The Bulldogs found themselves in a quick hole, as they fell down 2-0 early after State junior Chris Doerr dropped a two-set bout at No. 5 to Graeme Dyce of UK, 6-3, 6-2. Shortly following, MSU sophomore Tanner Stump slipped up at No. 6 to Wildcat Alberto Gonzalez, 6-1, 6-2.

The first sets were very close on the remaining four courts, but the Wildcats finally took three of them and eventually tallied another point when UK freshman Eric Quigley down 89th-ranked MSU rookie Artem Ilyushin at No. 2, 6-4, 6-1.

Kentucky clinched the match at the No. 3 spot where Bulldog Louis Cant dropped a tough 7-6(8), 6-2 decision to UK's Brad Cox.

Following the match-clinching point, play was halted as the teams agreed prior to the match that the affair would be suspended once a winner had been determined.

In those two contests, MSU's 88th-ranked Ryan Farlow was leading fifth-ranked Bruno Agostinell of Kentucky, 6-4, 3-3 at the No. 1 position, while State sophomore Antonio Lastre trailed Wildcat Alex Musialek at No. 4, 7-5, 5-1.

“Kentucky played well and won the match and there is no excuse but we need to take some time to get healthy,” said Mississippi State head coach Per Nilsson. “We are going to take the next couple days off to let our bodies heal so we can be healthy and ready to play at Arkansas and LSU next weekend.”

MSU will return to action next weekend as they travel to No. 45 Arkansas for a 2 p.m. CT, Friday, April 10, match. That will be followed by a Sunday, April 12, match at No. 34 LSU, at 1 p.m. CT.

#13 KENTUCKY 4, #60 MISSISSIPPI STATE 0
Starkville, Miss. ? 4/5/09

SINGLES ? Ryan Farlow (MSU) vs. Bruno Agostinelli (UK) 6-4, 3-3, susp.; Eric Quigley (UK) def. Artem Ilyushin (MSU) 6-4, 6-1; Brad Cox (UK) def. Louis Cant (MSU) 7-6(8), 6-2; Antonio Lastre (MSU) vs. Alex Musialek (UK) 5-7, 1-5, susp.; Graeme Dyce (UK) def. Chris Doerr (MSU) 6-3, 6-2; Alberto Gonzalez (UK) def. Tanner Stump (MSU) 6-1, 6-2.

DOUBLES ? Not contested.

Order of Finish: Singles ? 5,6,2,3.