Mississippi State
ITA All-American Championships
Bulldogs Drop Pair Of Main Draw Contests At ITA All-American
October 03, 2014 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. – Day one of main draw play at the 2014 ITA All-American Championships did not go in favor of the Mississippi State men's tennis squad, as they dropped a pair of contests on Thursday.
In a day plagued with rain that sent action indoors, 36th-ranked Florian Lakat fell in straight sets in singles play, while Lakat and Julian Cash dropped a tight three-set match in doubles action.
Going up against Oklahoma State's 3rd-ranked duo of Arjun Kadhe and Jakob Sudhe was a tall task for Cash and Lakat, but the Bulldog pair did not back down. The MSU tandem jumped out in front early, taking the opening frame, 7-5. Kadhe and Sude fought back and took a tight 6-4 decision in the second set to force a super tiebreaker to decide a winner. Kadhe and Sude would go on to pull out the victory, taking the final frame and the match, 5-7, 6-4, 1-0(6).
Cash and Lakat will return to action Friday, Oct. 3, in a 16-team doubles back draw. The State pair will find out their consolation play opponent when main draw action is completed Thursday night.
Facing No. 2 Yannick Hanfmann of Southern California, Lakat was unable to find his rhythm, falling 6-2, 6-4. Despite the loss, Lakat's time in Tulsa, Okla., is not finished, as he will compete in consolation play on Friday. The reigning 2013 SEC Freshman of the Year will face UNLV's Denys Pume in the first round of the 32-player draw.
For more information on Mississippi State men's tennis and updates throughout the 2014 ITA All-American Championships, fans can follow the Bulldogs on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at HailStateMT.
MSU Results At The ITA All-American Championships
October 2, 2014 – Tulsa, Okla.
Singles – Main Draw
First Round – No. 2 Yannick Hanfmann (S. California) [2] def. No. 36 Florian Lakat (MSU) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles – Main Draw
First Round – No. 3 Arjun Kadhe/Jakob Sude (Oklahoma State) [3] def. Julian Cash/Florian Lakat (MSU) 5-7, 6-4, 1-0(6)
