Mississippi State
Texas Tech
No. 20 MSU Drops 4-2 Decision To Texas Tech
February 09, 2020 | Men's Tennis
by Graham Murphree, Student Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – After taking the opening doubles point, the Mississippi State men's tennis team was upended by Texas Tech in a 4-2 decision on a blustery afternoon Sunday at State's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
The Red Raider win cut MSU's lead in the overall series between the teams to 5-3. TTU has taken both meetings held between the teams in Starkville.
The Bulldogs controlled doubles play Sunday, with dominance on the winning courts.
Court 3 finished first with MSU's Alberto Colas and Gregor Ramskogler ousting Red Raiders Bjorn Thomson and Ilgiz Valiev 6-3. Then, on court 1, State's 27th-ranked tandem of Florian Broska and Nicolas Ocana cruising past TTU's Isaac Arevalo and Jackson Cobb 6-2 to clinch the doubles point. At the time of the clinch, MSU's Giovanni Oradini and Stedman Strickland were trailing 5-4 in their match against Texas Tech's Reed Collier and Parker Wynn.
In singles action, the Red Raiders showed resilience, battling back to claim the first two matches complete and go up 2-1 in the match. Wrapping up first would be Thomson, who held off MSU rookie Isaac Becroft 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 6 position. On court 1, Wynn bested MSU's No. 27 Oradini 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
MSU's No. 61 Broska evened the match at 2-2, fighting off Texas Tech's No. 62 Valiev 6-4, 7-6(2) at the No. 2 position. At 5-3 down in the second set, the MSU junior hit a screaming backhand winner on a deciding point to save set point and go on to win his second set and match.
But Broska's match would be the last point the Bulldogs could muster as TTU wrapped up victories on courts 5 and 3 to clinch the match. Red Raider Franco Ribero edged the MSU rookie Colas 6-4, 7-5 at No. 5 before Collier held off Ramskogler at No. 3 in a tight three-set affair 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 for the clinching point.
In the lone remaining match, MSU rookie Davide Tortora had just begun the third set with TTU's Arevalo on court 4, Arevalo leading 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 when play was suspended.
Texas Tech 4, No. 20 Mississippi State 2
February 9, 2020
Starkville - A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. #27 Florian Broska/Nicolas Ocana (MSU) def. Issac Arevalo/Jackson Cobb (TTU) 6-2
2. Giovanni Oradini/Stedman Strickland (MSU) vs. Reed Collier/Parker Wynn (TTU) 4-5 (susp.)
3. Alberto Colas/Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) def. Bjorn Thomson/Ilgiz Valiev (TTU) 6-3
Order of finish: 3,1
Singles
1. Parker Wynn (TTU) def. #27 Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
2. #61 Florian Broska (MSU) def. #62 Ilgiz Valiev (TTU) 6-4, 7-6(2)
3. Reed Collier (TTU) def. Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-4
4. Isaac Arevalo (TTU) vs. Davide Tortora (MSU) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (susp.)
5. Franco Ribero (TTU) def. Alberto Colas (MSU) 6-4, 7-5
6. Bjorn Thomson (TTU) def. Isaac Becroft (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 6,1,2,5,3
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