Mississippi State
LSU
True Freshman Hernandez Propels No. 23 Bulldogs To 4-3 Victory Over No. 38 LSU
March 07, 2021 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE. – The 23rd-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team pulled out a gritty 4-3 battle over the No. 38 Tigers of LSU with the help of true freshman Carles Hernandez earning a doubles victory as well as rallying from a set down in singles to clinch the match for the Bulldogs in the last match on the court.
With the victory, State improved to 10-4, 1-3 in SEC action while LSU dropped to 9-6, 1-5 in the league. LSU still leads the series 36-19-1 (since 1969). However, with the win Sunday, the Bulldogs have now claimed five straight against LSU as well as 11 out of the last 13 meetings with the Tigers.
Starting the affair, the teams would put up a top tier fight in doubles before LSU finally grabbed a close point to start the match. On court 3, MSU's tandem of Alberto Colas and Hernandez would oust LSU's Boris Kozlov and Nick Watson 6-3. Evening things up for the Tigers would be court 1, where the 60th-ranked duo of Ronnie Hohmann and Rafael Wagner would win a close 7-5 battle over Bulldogs Florian Broska and Gregor Ramskogler. Wrapping up play would be court 2, where the Tiger tandem of Joao Graca and Joey Thomas edged Bulldogs Nemanja Malesevic and Nicolas Ocana in a tiebreaker 7-6(6) to hand LSU the early 1-0 lead.
In singles play, both teams would come out firing, as each team would take three opening sets to start.
Evening the match up for the Bulldogs was court 3, where Colas would make quick work of LSU's Tom Pisane, downing the Tiger 6-3, 6-1.
Giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the day would be the 87th-ranked Broska on court 1. The Bulldog veteran would show true determination to win the match, rallying from a 5-2 second-set deficit to down the Tigers' 99th-ranked Hohmann 6-1, 7-6(3).
LSU would then regain the lead with identical 6-3, 6-4 victories at the bottom two spots in the lineup. At No. 6, Tiger Benjamin Ambrosio bested MSU's Ocana. Finishing up immediately after would be court 5 where LSU's Kozlov held off MSU's Ramskogler. The Tigers led 3-2.
State's Malsevic then knotted the score at 3-3, storming back from trailing 4-2 in his second set to complete a 6-3, 7-5 triumph over LSU's Wagner at the No. 2 position.
All eyes then turned to court 4 for an all-freshman battle – between MSU's Hernandez and LSU's Garca - that would decide the match.
After dropping the first set 6-3, the Hernandez would stay poised, holding serve on a critical deciding point at 4-4 in the second set. The Bulldog rookie then broke Garca to take the second set and send the match to a deciding third. Hernandez then quickly established a 3-0 third-set lead - that he would never relinquish - going on to claim the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and clinch the thrilling team win for State over the visiting Tigers.
Next upon on the slate, the Bulldogs will continue their current five-match homestand. On Friday, March 12, State will welcome No. 16 South Carolina to Starkville at 3 p.m. CT before entertaining No. 10 Florida on Sunday, March 14, at Noon.
No. 23 Mississippi State 4, No. 38 LSU 3
March 7, 2021
Starkville, Miss. – A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles
1. #60 Ronnie Hohmann/Rafael Wagner (LSU) def. Florian Broska/Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 7-5
2. Joao Graca/Joey Thomas (LSU) def. Nemanja Malesevic/Nicolas Ocana (MSU) 7-6(6)
3. Alberto Colas/Carles Hernandez (MSU) def. Boris Kozlov/Nick Watson (LSU) 6-3
Order of finish: 3,1,2
Singles
1. #87 Florian Broska (MSU) def. #90 Ronnie Hohmann (LSU) 6-1, 7-6(3)
2. Nemanja Malesevic (MSU) def. Rafael Wagner (LSU) 6-3, 7-5
3. Alberto Colas (MSU) def. Tom Pisane (LSU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Carles Hernandez (MSU) def. Joao Graca (LSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
5. Boris Kozlov (LSU) def. Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Benjamin Ambrosio (LSU) def. Nicolas Ocana (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 3,1,6,5,2,4
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Players Mentioned
