Friday, March 15
Starkville
3:00 PM
Mississippi State
4
vs
2
Auburn
Mississippi State’s women’s tennis team (11-4, 2-2 SEC) conquered the 39th-ranked Auburn Tigers (13-7, 0-5) 4-2 in the Bulldogs’ SEC home opener on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in a three-hour marathon.
MSU Women’s Tennis Upends No. 39 Auburn, 4-2, In SEC Home Opener
March 15, 2019 | Women's Tennis
by Emily Pschigoda, Student Assistant/Communication
Starkville, Miss. – Mississippi State's women's tennis team (11-4, 2-2 SEC) conquered the 39th-ranked Auburn Tigers (13-7, 0-5) 4-2 in the Bulldogs' SEC home opener on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in a three-hour marathon.
"We expected a battle, like we will in any SEC match," said head coach Daryl Greenan. "We had a lot of close battles that we overcame. I see us making progress, and that was definitely a big win for us."
The Bulldogs overtook the Tigers for the first time since 2015, breaking Auburn's three-match win streak in the series. State now holds an 8-0 ledger at home in 2019, outscoring opponents 43-3 in those affairs.
MSU earned their second conference victory of the 2019 season in a match that began with a thrilling doubles point. MSU stuttered at the start, with Emma Antonaki and Anastasia Rentouli dropping the first match 6-4 to AU's pair of Yu Chen and Jaeda Danie on court 2. State's Janina Braun and Sara Lizariturry then won the last three games over Taylor Russo and Lindsay Song at No. 3 for a tough 7-5 triumph that put all eyes on court one.
The deciding match at the top spot featured MSU's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine fighting Auburn's Alannah Griffin and Madeline Meredith. The Bulldog tandem was down 6-5 with AU serving for match, but broke back force a decisive tiebreaker. Adaloglou and Racine jumped to a quick 4-1 lead in the breaker and never looked back, posting a 7-6(3) triumph to put State up early over the Tigers.
Early in singles, MSU's 113th-ranked Adaloglou dropped a tough 7-5, 6-4 decision to AU's 72nd-ranked Daniel 7-5, 6-4 at No, 1 to allow the Tigers to tie the match 1-1. Not long after, on court two, State's 81st-ranked true freshman Antonaki came from behind in dominating fashion after dropping a first-set tiebreaker, ultimately taking her match over the Tigers' Meredith 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1.
To put MSU up 3-1, the senior Rentouli won an back-and-forth second set on court 3 to down Auburn's Russo 6-2, 7-6(7), featuring a second-set tiebreaker that stayed close throughout the final points. Chen then rallied to best State's Lizariturry 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5 to close the gap in the match, with the Bulldogs still leading 3-2 and leaving courts 4 & 6 left to decide the match.
In a back-and-forth, straight-set affair that would prove to be the clincher, State's senior Braun toppled Tiger Caroline Turner 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6 to lift the Bulldogs over the Tigers.
The lone remaining match of the day - on court 4 - was suspended at that point, with MSU's rookie Racine leading Auburn's Griffin 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-0.
"When you win the close ones like this, it should give you some confidence that you can do it again," said Greenan. "Alabama is going to be another battle. Anyone can win on any given day, and you just have to lay it all out there."
Next Up For MSU…
Continuing State's SEC home-opening weekend, the Bulldogs are set to welcome the Crimson Tide of Alabama to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday (March 17). Alabama is 12-7 overall on the season, 1-4 in SEC action. In the last meeting between the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide last spring, MSU took a tight 4-3 decision in Tuscaloosa. State has won the last four matchups in the series.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mississippi State 4, #39 Auburn 2
March 15, 2019
Starkville, Miss. - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Alannah Griffin/Madeline Meredith (AU) 7-6(3)
2. Yu Chen/Jaeda Daniel (AU) def. Emma Antonaki/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 6-4
3. Janina Braun/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Taylor Russo/Lindsay Song (AU) 7-5
Order of finish: 2,3,1
Singles
1. No. 72 Daniel (AU) def. No. 113 Adaloglou (MSU) 7-5, 6-4
2. No. 81 Antonaki (MSU) def. Meredith (AU) 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1
3. Rentouli (MSU) def. Russo (AU) 6-2, 7-6(7)
4. Racine (MSU) vs. Griffin (AU) 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-0 (susp.)
5. Chen (AU) def. Lizariturry (MSU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
6. Braun (MSU) def. Turner (AU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1,2,3,5,6
Starkville, Miss. – Mississippi State's women's tennis team (11-4, 2-2 SEC) conquered the 39th-ranked Auburn Tigers (13-7, 0-5) 4-2 in the Bulldogs' SEC home opener on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in a three-hour marathon.
"We expected a battle, like we will in any SEC match," said head coach Daryl Greenan. "We had a lot of close battles that we overcame. I see us making progress, and that was definitely a big win for us."
The Bulldogs overtook the Tigers for the first time since 2015, breaking Auburn's three-match win streak in the series. State now holds an 8-0 ledger at home in 2019, outscoring opponents 43-3 in those affairs.
MSU earned their second conference victory of the 2019 season in a match that began with a thrilling doubles point. MSU stuttered at the start, with Emma Antonaki and Anastasia Rentouli dropping the first match 6-4 to AU's pair of Yu Chen and Jaeda Danie on court 2. State's Janina Braun and Sara Lizariturry then won the last three games over Taylor Russo and Lindsay Song at No. 3 for a tough 7-5 triumph that put all eyes on court one.
The deciding match at the top spot featured MSU's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine fighting Auburn's Alannah Griffin and Madeline Meredith. The Bulldog tandem was down 6-5 with AU serving for match, but broke back force a decisive tiebreaker. Adaloglou and Racine jumped to a quick 4-1 lead in the breaker and never looked back, posting a 7-6(3) triumph to put State up early over the Tigers.
Early in singles, MSU's 113th-ranked Adaloglou dropped a tough 7-5, 6-4 decision to AU's 72nd-ranked Daniel 7-5, 6-4 at No, 1 to allow the Tigers to tie the match 1-1. Not long after, on court two, State's 81st-ranked true freshman Antonaki came from behind in dominating fashion after dropping a first-set tiebreaker, ultimately taking her match over the Tigers' Meredith 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1.
To put MSU up 3-1, the senior Rentouli won an back-and-forth second set on court 3 to down Auburn's Russo 6-2, 7-6(7), featuring a second-set tiebreaker that stayed close throughout the final points. Chen then rallied to best State's Lizariturry 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5 to close the gap in the match, with the Bulldogs still leading 3-2 and leaving courts 4 & 6 left to decide the match.
In a back-and-forth, straight-set affair that would prove to be the clincher, State's senior Braun toppled Tiger Caroline Turner 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6 to lift the Bulldogs over the Tigers.
The lone remaining match of the day - on court 4 - was suspended at that point, with MSU's rookie Racine leading Auburn's Griffin 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-0.
"When you win the close ones like this, it should give you some confidence that you can do it again," said Greenan. "Alabama is going to be another battle. Anyone can win on any given day, and you just have to lay it all out there."
Next Up For MSU…
Continuing State's SEC home-opening weekend, the Bulldogs are set to welcome the Crimson Tide of Alabama to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday (March 17). Alabama is 12-7 overall on the season, 1-4 in SEC action. In the last meeting between the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide last spring, MSU took a tight 4-3 decision in Tuscaloosa. State has won the last four matchups in the series.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mississippi State 4, #39 Auburn 2
March 15, 2019
Starkville, Miss. - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Alannah Griffin/Madeline Meredith (AU) 7-6(3)
2. Yu Chen/Jaeda Daniel (AU) def. Emma Antonaki/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 6-4
3. Janina Braun/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Taylor Russo/Lindsay Song (AU) 7-5
Order of finish: 2,3,1
Singles
1. No. 72 Daniel (AU) def. No. 113 Adaloglou (MSU) 7-5, 6-4
2. No. 81 Antonaki (MSU) def. Meredith (AU) 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1
3. Rentouli (MSU) def. Russo (AU) 6-2, 7-6(7)
4. Racine (MSU) vs. Griffin (AU) 7-6(5), 3-6, 1-0 (susp.)
5. Chen (AU) def. Lizariturry (MSU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
6. Braun (MSU) def. Turner (AU) 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 1,2,3,5,6
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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