MSU Women’s Tennis Hosts Auburn Friday For SEC Home Opener

Friday, March 15

Starkville

3:00 PM

Mississippi State

Auburn

Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team (10-5, 1-2) is set for its first SEC match at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre this season at 3 p.m. on Friday, hosting the 39th-ranked Auburn Tigers (13-6, 0-4).

MSU Women’s Tennis Hosts Auburn Friday For SEC Home Opener

March 13, 2019 | Women's Tennis

Live Video/Scoring

by Emily Pschigoda, Student Assistant/Communications

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State's women's tennis team (10-5, 1-2) is set for its first SEC match at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre this season at 3 p.m. on Friday, hosting the 39th-ranked Auburn Tigers (13-6, 0-4).

In 2019 dual-match action, State is unbeaten (7-0) at the Pitts Tennis Centre, outscoring opponents 39-1 at home. State's lone SEC victory this season was a program-first triumph over the Florida Gators in Gainesville (Mar. 3) in an exciting 4-3 affair.

Bulldogs In The Oracle ITA Rankings …
Two Bulldogs have consistently held national spots in singles. State true freshman Emma Antonaki moved up to the 81st-ranked singles spot last week, holding a team-leading 20-7 overall singles mark through fall tournament play and 14 dual matches. Antonaki retains a 4-3 record against ranked opponents, 4-1 vs. the top 60, and is 12-2 in dual match play. MSU sophomore Magda Adaloglou is the 113th-ranked player nationally, boasting a 13-12 overall record in singles action, including a 6-6 record in the Bulldogs' top singles spot. Senior Anastasia Rentouli upended Florida's 52^nd-ranked Victoria Emma last week and has won 11 of her last 12 contests. She is a team-best 9-1 in dual matches this spring.

Know The Foe: Auburn
The Auburn Tigers hold the 39th-ranked spot nationally with a 13-6 ledger in 2019 dual match play. Conversely, the Tigers are 0-4 in SEC action on the year, but all four of their setbacks have come to current top 30 teams. In 2018, Auburn earned a 21-10 overall mark, 9-5 in conference play, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers' Jaeda Daniel is currently Auburn's lone ranked singles player (72nd), with Sophia Graver and Taylor Russo holding the No. 22 slot in doubles. AU's doubles pair of Daniel and Madeline Meredith are the nation's 64th-ranked tandem.

Need To Know …

Mississippi State is playing its 94^th season of women's tennis, with Daryl Greenan in his 10th season at the helm.
The series between MSU and Auburn dates back to 1976, with the Tigers holding a 30-15 lead.
In the last meeting, MSU fell to Auburn in a 4-0 decision at Auburn on March 8, 2018.
The teams will meet for the 20th time overall in Starkville.
In 2019 dual-match action, State is unbeaten (7-0) at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, outscoring opponents 39-1 at home.
True freshman Emma Antonaki leads the Bulldogs in singles wins (20) and held a team-leading, 11-match win streak to open the 2019 season, with four top 60 wins.
Senior Anastasia Rentouli currently stands 4th all-time at MSU in total career victories (142), 2nd in singles wins (81). She has won 11 of her last 12 singles matches.

Live Video/Scoring
Live video and scoring for Friday's match can be found here.

Last Time Out For MSU …
In the Bulldogs final matchup of a four-match road stretch, MSU stumbled in a 4-1 decision to rival Ole Miss in Oxford on Sunday, March 10. State came out swinging, capturing the doubles point to take an early advantage, but the Rebels ultimately overtook the contest by winning several very close first sets.

Next Up For MSU …
State is slated to welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 17, to close out MSU's first SEC weekend at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The Bulldogs' last meeting with Alabama was on March 10, 2018, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with State coming out on top in a tough 4-3 win. The Crimson Tide lead 35-16 in the series, 12-9 in Starkville, but State has won the last four matchups.

For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.