Mississippi State
Tulane
No. 20 Bulldog Tennis Upset By Tulane
February 07, 2020 | Men's Tennis
by Graham Murphree, Student Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – The Mississippi State men's tennis team (6-3) showed a valiant effort on all nine courts throughout a Friday afternoon match before ultimately falling in a 4-0 decision to visiting Tulane (4-3) at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The match featured three tiebreakers in doubles and four three-set contests in singles.
The Green Wave win broke a six-match MSU win streak in the series between the teams. TU's last win over the Bulldogs came in 2004 at the Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, Ala.
"Tulane played a great match and came up bigger than us on the key points," MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. "They played four seniors and two juniors, and that showed on the big points. Our team is learning what it takes to push through the big moments. We will learn a lot from this match and use it to become a more resilient team."
Doubles play was a tight as it could possibly be, with all three matches going to tiebreakers to decide the first point of the match.
Court 2 finished first with TU's Luis Erienbusch and Dane Esses edging Bulldogs Giovanni Oradini and Stedman Strickland 7-6(3). Then, on court 1, the Green Wave pair of Akos Kotorman and Hamish Stewart upended the 27th-ranked MSU duo of Florian Broska and Nicolas Ocana 7-6(0). At the time of the clinch, MSU's Alberto Colas and Gregor Ramskogler were trailing 3-1 in their tiebreaker against Tulane's Benji Jacobson and Ewan Moore at No. 3.
In singles action, the Bulldogs showed determination and fight as four of the six courts would go three sets to determine the outcome. But Tulane would claim the other two matchups in straight sets to build a commanding 3-0 lead.
Wrapping up first would be the 64th-ranked Stewart, who bested MSU's No. 61 Broska 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 2 position. On court 4, TU's Esses held off MSU rookie Davide Tortora 7-6(5), 6-2.
The last four matches of the day – all of which State would need to rally for a win – went three sets.
However, the Green Wave would get the final point of the day in the first of those to finish when Erlenbusch outlasted Ramskogler 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 on court 3.
In the remaining matches, MSU's No. 27 Oradini would be down 6-4, 6-7(4), 2-1 to No. 49 Moore at No. 1. The State freshman Colas trailed 5-7, 6-2, 3-2 to Tim Ruetzel at No. 5. And Bulldog newcomer Isaac Becroft led 6-7(3), 6-2, 1-0 over Tulane's Henry Lovett at the No. 6 spot.
The Bulldogs will return to action on Sunday, hosting Texas Tech (3-3) at 12 p.m. CT.
Tulane 4, No. 20 Mississippi State 0
February 7, 2020
Starkville - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. Akos Kotorman/Hamish Stewart (Tulane) def. #27 Florian Broska/Nicolas Ocana (MSU) 7-6(0)
2. Luis Erlenbusch/Dane Esses (Tulane) def. Giovanni Oradini/Stedman Strickland (MSU) 7-6(3)
3. Benji Jacobson/Ewan Moore (Tulane) vs. Alberto Colas/Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 6-6(3-1), susp.
Order of finish: 2,1
Singles
1. #49 Ewan Moore (Tulane) vs. #27 Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 6-3, 6-7 (4), 2-1, susp.
2. #64 Hamish Stewart (Tulane) def. #61 Florian Broska (MSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Luis Erlenbusch (Tulane) def. Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
4. Dane Esses (Tulane) def. Davide Tortora (MSU) 7-6(5), 6-2
5. Tim Ruetzel (Tulane) vs. Alberto Colas (MSU) 5-7, 6-2, 3-2, susp.
6. Isaac Becroft (MSU) vs. Henry Lovett (Tulane) 6-7(3), 6-2, 1-0, susp.
Order of finish: 2,4,3
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