Mississippi State
Florida Invitational
Bulldogs Have Great First Day At Gator Invitational
September 25, 2009 | Men's Tennis
"We are seeing improvement in practice and now we have to see that carry over to the matches we play in," said Head Coach Per Nilsson.
Sophomore Louis Cant won his first match in the fall season over senior David Simon of Miami in a three-set bout, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0(5). Bulldog junior Antonio Lastre, who had a stellar fall last season, got off to a good start this fall taking down Yannick Yoshizawa of South Florida in straight sets, 7-6(3), 6-4. Standout sophomore and 83rd-ranked Artem Ilyusin won over Miami's Keith Crowly in identical sets, 6-3, 6-3. Redshirt sophomore Max Gregor Smith, making his MSU debut picked up a come from behind victory in his first career match over host-school Florida's Daniel Cash, 3-6, 7-5, 1-0(4). Also making his Maroon and White debut, sophomore Hrehan Hakeem conjured up a victory over Alex Pukal of South Florida, 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(4). Sophomore Daniel Sanchez dropped his first match of the fall in a tough three-set bout to Miami's Waylon Chin, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0(5). Also making playing in his first collegiate match was MSU's George Coupland who ranks 109th nationally who fell to 79th-ranked Carl Sundberg of Miami in three-sets, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(6).
In doubles action, the Bulldog tandem of Hakeem and Lastre took down South Florida's Juan Accuna and Jamal Adderly, 6-3. Florida's Erik Corace and William Federhofer managed a win over MSU's duo of Smith and sophomore Tanner Stump, 7-5. MSU's Cant and Ilyushin fell to Sion and Sundberg of Miami, 6-1, while MState's Coupland and Sanchez slipped up in a close match to Miami's Chin and Crowley, 7-6(5).
"We are seeing improvement in practice and now we have to see that carry over to the matches we play in," said Head Coach Per Nilsson.
MSU will return to the courts at the Gator Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m.
SINGLES
Louis Cant (MSU) def. David Simon (Miami) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0(5); Antonio Lastre (MSU) def. Yannick Yoshizawa (South Florida) 7-6(3), 6-4; Max Gregor Smith (MSU) def. Daniel Cash (Florida) 3-6, 7-5, 1-0(4); Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) def. Alex Puckal (South Florida) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(4); #83Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Keith Crowley (Miami) 6-3, 6-3; #79 Carl Sundberg (Miami) def. #109 George Coupland (MSU) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(6); Waylon Chin (Miami) def. Daniel Sanchez (MSU) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0(5).
DOUBLES
Hakeem/Lastre (MSU) def. Juan Accuna/Jamal Adderly (South Florida) 6-3; Erik Corace/William Federhofer (Florida) def. Smith/Tanner Stump (MSU) 7-5; Simon/Sundberg (Miami) def. Cant/Ilyushin (MSU) 6-1; Chin/Crowley (Miami) def. Coupland/Sanchez (MSU) 7-6(5).
