Mississippi State
Auburn
#14 State Tennis Downs #12 Auburn 5-2 For SEC Weekend Sweep
March 04, 2012 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State's 14th-ranked men's tennis squad (11-2, 2-0 SEC) extended their win streak to seven matches on Sunday as the Bulldogs downed No. 12 Auburn (10-4, 0-2 SEC) 5-2, finishing undefeated in the opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play.
The seven-match streak is MSU's longest since State's 1998 NCAA semifinal team started the season on a 7-0 run. Also, head coach Per Nilsson remained undefeated against the Tigers during the regular season in his five-year tenure with Mississippi State.
"I am excited we are off to a 2-0 SEC start," head coach Per Nilsson said. "We knew this would be a tough weekend coming in so I am proud of how our guys played. We can still get better but its' exciting to know that we are beating really good teams and there is still room for improvement. Our goal is to get better and our guys are working extremely hard to do so."
Beginning with doubles play, the MSU duo of George Coupland and Artem Ilyushin set the tone for the Bulldogs as they were to first to finish with an 8-3 triumph on court 2 over Dan Cochrane and Alex Stamchev of Auburn.
The doubles clincher came from the top spot where 23rd-ranked Louis Cant and Malte Stropp took on the Tiger tandem of Andreas Mies and Lukas Ollert. With both teams having trouble holding serve, the Bulldogs were able to take a late break from Auburn and serve out to take the match 8-6, giving the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead following doubles action.
On court 3, a tight back-and-forth battle played out as the match went to an 8-8 tiebreaker, which Auburn's Lucas Lopasso and Rafael Rondino took in a tight decision 9-8(10).
Swinging to singles action, Auburn's Alex Stamchev evened the match for the Tigers as he claimed a 6-4, 6-1 decision from Chaudry in the second spot.
The Bulldogs, however, would quickly answer as MSU's 41st-ranked Coupland downed Auburn's Lopasso 6-2, 6-4 (his eighth win in a row) at No. 5 regaining the lead for MSU at 2-1. Yet again, the Tigers would answer as Michael Wardell ousted State's Zach White 6-2, 6-4 on court 6, squaring the match at 2-2.
But Wardell's win would be Auburn's last of the day as Mississippi State would claim the last three matches of the day, all of which were close.
For his fifth win in a row, four coming against opponents ranked in the top 35, State's 27th-ranked Ilyushin played an energetic match to down his 20th-ranked Auburn foe, Mies, 7-5, 6-2 in the top spot, extending the Bulldog lead to 3-2.
"Artem has really been playing well," head coach Per Nilsson said. "His energy really motivates the team and keeps the crowd into the matches."
As courts 3 and 4 were still in progress, the match-clincher ultimately came from No. 3 where 75th-ranked Stropp concluded an impressive three-set comeback for his sixth consecutive victory. Dropping the first 6-3 to Auburn's Cochrane, Stropp would turn around and take the second set in the same fashion. In the third, Stropp would keep the momentum as he quickly downed his Auburn foe 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 and clinched the match at 4-2 for State.
With an 10-match win streak on the line, No. 37 Cant of MSU was in a tight battle on court 4. Down 4-2 in the first, Cant would battle back to take a very important 7-6(7) tiebreaker from 118th-ranked Ollert of Auburn. With the second set proving to be a fight as well, Cant would eventually best his Tiger foe, breaking him in the last game of the match for a 7-6(7), 7-5 win.
The Bulldogs now make a quick turn around for a big matchup as they are back in action this Tuesday, March 6, host the No. 4 Cavaliers of Virginia in a marquee non-conference battle. Match time is set for 2 p..m CT at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre and admission is free.
#14 Mississippi State 5, #12 Auburn 2
3/4/12 - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre - Starkville, Miss.
DOUBLES
1) #23 Louis Cant/Malte Stropp (MSU) def. Dan Cochrane/Alex Stamchev (AU) 8-6
2) George Coupland/Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Andreas Mies/Lukas Ollert (AU) 8-3
3) Dennis Lengsfeld/Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. James Chaudry/Ethan Wilkinson (MSU) 9-8(10)
SINGLES
1) #27 Ilyushin (MSU) def. #20 Mies (AU) 7-5, 6-2
2) Stamchev (AU) def. Chaudry (MSU) 6-4, 6-1
3) #75 Stropp (MSU) def. Cochrane (AU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
4) #37 Cant (MSU) def. #118 Ollert (AU) 7-6(7), 7-5
5) #41 Coupland (MSU) def. Lopasso (AU) 6-2, 6-4
6) Michael Wardell (AU) def. Zach White (MSU) 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish... Doubles (2,1,3)... Singles (2,5,6,1,3,4)
Players Mentioned
