Friday, March 29
Starkville
3:00 PM
Mississippi State
4
vs
2
Missouri
After dropping the doubles point, Mississippi State’s women’s tennis squad (12-8, 3-5 SEC) rallied to overturn the Missouri Tigers (13-9, 0-8) 4-2 on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, which lifted the Bulldogs to a 9-1 mark in Starkville this season. State claimed two three-set wins down the stretch to secure the victory.
MSU Women’s Tennis Fends Off Missouri For 4-2 Triumph
March 29, 2019 | Women's Tennis
by Emily Pschigoda, Student Assistant/Communications
Starkville, Miss. – After dropping the doubles point, Mississippi State's women's tennis squad (12-8, 3-5 SEC) rallied to overturn the Missouri Tigers (13-9, 0-8) 4-2 on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, which lifted the Bulldogs to a 9-1 mark in Starkville this season. State claimed two three-set wins down the stretch to secure the victory.
"That was a nail-biter. I'm really proud of my girls for their effort and their courage in the end, down the stretch," said head coach Daryl Greenan. "We really had to fight for that one. That was a big one for us…we needed it."
The Bulldogs fought through a marathon doubles point, which came down to the final moments on court one. Giving State an early advantage, MSU's Janina Braun and Sara Lizariturry toppled Missouri's Gabrielle Goldin and Serena Nash 6-1. On court two, the Bulldogs' Emma Antonaki and Anastasia Rentouli were ousted by Tigers Marta Oliveria and Mackenzy Middlebrooks 6-3, which put all eyes on court one for the imminent clinch.
State's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine took the opening edge in the match against Ellie Wright and Risa Fukutoku, earning a 5-2 lead. But the Tiger tandem grabbed five straight games to ultimately down the Bulldog tandem 7-5 and take an early 1-0 lead.
In singles, MSU began working out of the deficit early, with 82nd-ranked Antonaki's 6-2, 6-2 triumph over MU's 119th-ranked Middlebrooks on court one. The Bulldogs' Adaloglou then ousted Missouri's Nash on court two 6-3, 6-3 to put State ahead 2-1 in the match.
Missouri then evened the match as Taylor Gruber held off MSU's Braun in a very tight 7-6(5), 7-6(3) decision on court five.
The remaining three matches all went three sets, with each team needing two for the win.
In a court-four marathon, State's Racine overcame a 2-0 deficit early in the third set to defeat Missouri's Wright 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to put the Bulldogs back up 3-2 in the match. All attention turned to courts three and six for the match, with both still early in their third sets.
The Bulldog senior Rentouli started the third set of her match against the Tigers' Fukutoku with a strong second-game break to put her up 2-0. She continued the momentum, going on to shut out Fukutoku in the set, clinching the match for the Bulldogs with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 victory.
State's final matchup on court six was suspended with MSU's Lizariturry all square at 5-7, 7-6(6), 3-3 with Missouri's Oliveria.
Next Up For MSU…
State will battle the Arkansas Razorbacks at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Mar. 31). Arkansas is 9-10 overall in 2019, 2-6 in conference play, and is coming off a road win at Ole Miss Friday. In 2018, Arkansas was 16-16 overall, 3-10 in SEC action. In the last meeting between the Razorbacks and Bulldogs, State edged Arkansas 4-3 in Fayetteville on March 25, 2018. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings with the Razorbacks and six of the last eight.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mississippi State 4, Missouri 2
March 29, 2019
Starkville, Miss. - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. Ellie Wright/ Risa Fukutoku (MIZ) def. Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) 7-5
2. Marta Oliveria/Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ) def. Emma Antonaki/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 6-3
3. Janina Braun/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Gabrielle Goldin/Serena Nash (MIZ) 6-1
Order of finish: 3,2,1
Singles
1. No. 82 Antonaki (MSU) def. No. 119 Middlebrooks (MIZ) 6-2, 6-1
2. Adaloglou (MSU) def. Nash (MIZ) 6-3, 6-3
3. Rentouli (MSU) def. Fukutoku (MIZ) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0
4. Racine (MSU) def. Wright (MIZ) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Taylor Gruber (MIZ) def. Braun (MSU) 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
6. Lizariturry (MSU) vs. Oliveria (MIZ) 5-7, 7-6(6), 3-3 (susp.)
Order of finish: 1,2,5,4,3
Starkville, Miss. – After dropping the doubles point, Mississippi State's women's tennis squad (12-8, 3-5 SEC) rallied to overturn the Missouri Tigers (13-9, 0-8) 4-2 on Friday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, which lifted the Bulldogs to a 9-1 mark in Starkville this season. State claimed two three-set wins down the stretch to secure the victory.
"That was a nail-biter. I'm really proud of my girls for their effort and their courage in the end, down the stretch," said head coach Daryl Greenan. "We really had to fight for that one. That was a big one for us…we needed it."
The Bulldogs fought through a marathon doubles point, which came down to the final moments on court one. Giving State an early advantage, MSU's Janina Braun and Sara Lizariturry toppled Missouri's Gabrielle Goldin and Serena Nash 6-1. On court two, the Bulldogs' Emma Antonaki and Anastasia Rentouli were ousted by Tigers Marta Oliveria and Mackenzy Middlebrooks 6-3, which put all eyes on court one for the imminent clinch.
State's Magda Adaloglou and Tamara Racine took the opening edge in the match against Ellie Wright and Risa Fukutoku, earning a 5-2 lead. But the Tiger tandem grabbed five straight games to ultimately down the Bulldog tandem 7-5 and take an early 1-0 lead.
In singles, MSU began working out of the deficit early, with 82nd-ranked Antonaki's 6-2, 6-2 triumph over MU's 119th-ranked Middlebrooks on court one. The Bulldogs' Adaloglou then ousted Missouri's Nash on court two 6-3, 6-3 to put State ahead 2-1 in the match.
Missouri then evened the match as Taylor Gruber held off MSU's Braun in a very tight 7-6(5), 7-6(3) decision on court five.
The remaining three matches all went three sets, with each team needing two for the win.
In a court-four marathon, State's Racine overcame a 2-0 deficit early in the third set to defeat Missouri's Wright 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to put the Bulldogs back up 3-2 in the match. All attention turned to courts three and six for the match, with both still early in their third sets.
The Bulldog senior Rentouli started the third set of her match against the Tigers' Fukutoku with a strong second-game break to put her up 2-0. She continued the momentum, going on to shut out Fukutoku in the set, clinching the match for the Bulldogs with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 victory.
State's final matchup on court six was suspended with MSU's Lizariturry all square at 5-7, 7-6(6), 3-3 with Missouri's Oliveria.
Next Up For MSU…
State will battle the Arkansas Razorbacks at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Mar. 31). Arkansas is 9-10 overall in 2019, 2-6 in conference play, and is coming off a road win at Ole Miss Friday. In 2018, Arkansas was 16-16 overall, 3-10 in SEC action. In the last meeting between the Razorbacks and Bulldogs, State edged Arkansas 4-3 in Fayetteville on March 25, 2018. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings with the Razorbacks and six of the last eight.
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State women's tennis program, follow "HailStateWT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Mississippi State 4, Missouri 2
March 29, 2019
Starkville, Miss. - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. Ellie Wright/ Risa Fukutoku (MIZ) def. Magda Adaloglou/Tamara Racine (MSU) 7-5
2. Marta Oliveria/Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ) def. Emma Antonaki/Anastasia Rentouli (MSU) 6-3
3. Janina Braun/Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Gabrielle Goldin/Serena Nash (MIZ) 6-1
Order of finish: 3,2,1
Singles
1. No. 82 Antonaki (MSU) def. No. 119 Middlebrooks (MIZ) 6-2, 6-1
2. Adaloglou (MSU) def. Nash (MIZ) 6-3, 6-3
3. Rentouli (MSU) def. Fukutoku (MIZ) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0
4. Racine (MSU) def. Wright (MIZ) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Taylor Gruber (MIZ) def. Braun (MSU) 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
6. Lizariturry (MSU) vs. Oliveria (MIZ) 5-7, 7-6(6), 3-3 (susp.)
Order of finish: 1,2,5,4,3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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