Mississippi State
South Carolina
Bulldog Tennis Rally Falls Short As MSU Falls 4-2 To South Carolina
March 28, 2010 | Men's Tennis
For only the second time this season MSU was swept in doubles, and it also snapped a three-match streak where MSU had claimed the doubles point. State's 55th-ranked tandem of George Coupland and Artem Ilyushin fell first at the No. 1 position, 8-5, to South Carolina's Pedro Campos and Diego Cubas. The loss snapped a three-match win streak for the nationally ranked Bulldog duo, who are now 7-6 in dual match play. USC clinched the doubles point at the No. 3 slot where Louis Cant and Chris Doerr of MSU also had a three-match win streak snapped with a setback to the Gamecocks' team of Alexander Kostanov and Johannes Pulsfort, 9-8(3). The Gamecocks completed the doubles hat trick at the No. 2 spot, where Bulldogs duo of Antonio Lastre and Daniel Sanchez slipped up to Ivan Cressoni and Ivan Machado of USC, 8-5.
South Carolina carried a 1-0 lead going into singles action and extended its lead to 2-0 with a win at the No. 1 spot. 52nd nationally ranked sophomore Cant of MSU dropped a straight-set decision to South Carolina's 73rd-ranked Cubas, 6-0, 6-4. Cant trailed 5-1 in the second set but claimed the next three games before his rally fell short; it was also Cant's fourth-straight setback.
Momentum would begin to swing in MState's favor as the Bulldogs claimed the next two points to even the score at two. Getting things started was MSU's sophomore Ilyushin, who improved to 5-0 when playing at the No. 3 position by defeating USC's Ivan Cressoni in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-4. It was Ilyushin's second-straight victory and he improved 2-2 in the SEC. State junior Lastre would keep things rolling for the Maroon and White as he conjured up a straight-set victory of his own over the Gamecocks' Kostanov at the No. 4 spot, 6-4, 6-3. Lastre claimed the final three games in the second-set to win the match and improve his current win streak to three.
With the score evened, South Carolina would rebound at the No. 6 position to claim the lead again. Despite a one-set lead, Bulldog senior Doerr dropped 12 of the next 13 games to lose the three-set battle to Pulsfort of USC, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.
The Gamecocks would win the match in a dramatic showdown at the No. 2 slot, with a three-set battle between two ranked players. MSU's 101st-ranked Coupland dropped the first set to No. 125 Campos of USC, 6-3. Coupland rallied in the second set to even the score with a 6-2 claim. In a tight third set Coupland fell just short of an impressive comeback, 6-4, as Campos clinched the match for the Gamecocks.
At the No. 5 spot, State sophomore Sanchez had a 3-1 lead in the third set against Machado of South Carolina when play was suspended.
The Bulldogs will return to the courts this Friday, April 2, when MSU will travel to No. 7 Georgia.
#48 SOUTH CAROLINA 4, #43 MISSISSIPPI STATE 2
Starkville, Miss. - 3/28/10
DOUBLES
No. 1 - Pedro Campos/Diego Cubas (USC) def. #55 George Coupland/Artem Ilyushin (MSU) 8-5; No. 2 - Ivan Cressoni/Ivan Machado (USC) def. Antonio Lastre/Daniel Sanchez (MSU) 8-5; No. 3 - Alexander Kostanov/Johannes Pulsfort (USC) def. Louis Cant/Chris Doerr (MSU) 9-8(3); (Order of Finish: 1,3,2).
SINGLES
No. 1 - #73 Cubas (USC) def. #52 Cant (MSU) 6-0, 6-4; No. 2 - #125 Campos (USC) def. #101 Coupland (MSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; No. 3 - Ilyushin (MSU) def. Cressoni (USC) 6-3, 6-4; No. 4 - Lastre (MSU) def. Kostanov (USC) 6-4, 6-3; No. 5 - Sanchez (MSU) vs. Machado (USC) 6-7(4), 6-4, 3-1, susp.; No. 6 - Pulsfort (USC) def. Doerr (MSU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1; (Order of Finish: 1,3,4,6,2).
Players Mentioned
