State Women’s Tennis Falls In Heartbreaking 4-2 Affair To Alabama

Sunday, March 17

Starkville

12:00 PM

Mississippi State

Alabama

Mississippi State women’s tennis squad (11-6, 2-3 SEC) fell in the final moments of a nail-biting battle to conference foe Alabama (13-7, 2-4) on Sunday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics

State Women’s Tennis Falls In Heartbreaking 4-2 Affair To Alabama

March 17, 2019 | Women's Tennis

by Emily Pschigoda, Student Assistant/Communications

Starkville, Miss. – Mississippi State women's tennis squad (11-6, 2-3 SEC) fell in the final moments of a nail-biting battle to conference foe Alabama (13-7, 2-4) on Sunday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

The Bulldogs took an early edge, taking two tight matchups to secure the lead after doubles play. On court two, State's Emma Antonaki and Anastasia Rentouli came back from an early deficit to topple UA's Alba Cortina-Pou and Luca Fabian 6-3. In a back-and-forth affair, MSU's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine persevered past the Crimson Tide pair of Andie Daniell and Moka Ito 6-4.

The court 3 match between the tandem of Janina Braun and Sara Lizariturry and the Tide's Ann Selim and Kim Gintrand was suspended with the Bulldogs leading 5-4.

Singles came down to the final moments of the contest.

Alabama tied up the match early, with Fabian overtaking MSU's Lizariturry 6-2, 6-2 on court 5. State's Racine then overpowered Cortina-Pou 6-3, 6-4 on court 4 to put the Bulldogs back up 2-1, but the Tide would claim the next three points for the victory.

The Crimson Tide's Selim answered Racine's win with a 6-2, 6-4 ousting of State's Braun at No. 6 to even up the score once again at 2-2.

Alabama's 66th-ranked Daniell then held off MSU's 113th-ranked Adaloglou at the top position in a 7-6(5), 6-3 decision.

WIth State needing both of the last two matches to secure the win, State's 81st-ranked Antonaki was edged by the Crimson Tide's Ito on court 2 in a tough three-setter 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

MSU was likely going to claim the final point of the day. Rentouli's match was suspended upon the clincher at No. 2, as she was leading Alabama's Jacqueline Pelletier 6-2, 5-4 on court 3 and was serving for the match, up 40-15.

Next Up For MSU…
The Bulldogs hit the road again next weekend to face the 16th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at 2:30 p.m. on Friday (March 22) at the Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. UT leads 35-9 in the series, 16-2 in Knoxville. However, State has claimed the last four matchups against the Volunteers. In the last meeting on March 5, 2018, MSU captured a 4-2 decision in Starkville, which earned Greenan his 100th career win as State's head coach. Following the match at UT, State meets No. 1 Georgia in Athens on Sunday (March 24).

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

Alabama 4, Mississippi State 2
March 17, 2019
Starkville, Miss. - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre

Doubles
1. Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Andie Daniell/Moka Ito (UA) 6-4
2. Emma Antonaki/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) def. Alba Cortina-Pou/Luca Fabian (UA) 6-3
3. Janina Braun/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) vs. Ann Selim/Kim Gintrand (UA) 5-4 (susp.)
Order of finish: 2,1

Singles
1. No. 66 Daniell (UA) def. No. 113 Adaloglou (MSU) 7-6(5), 6-3
2. Ito (UA) def. No. 81 Antonaki (MSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
3. Rentouli (MSU) vs. Jacqueline Pelletier (UA) 6-2, 5-4 (susp.)
4. Racine (MSU) def. Cortina-Pou (UA) 6-3, 6-4
5. Fabian (UA) def. Lizariturry (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Selim (UA) def. Braun (MSU) 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 5,4,6,1,2