Mississippi State
VCU
Bulldogs Holding A Rematch Against VCU
February 10, 2024 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State suffered its first loss of the season when it fell 4-3 to VCU in the first round of ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 27.
The Bulldogs get an opportunity to even the score against the Rams when the two teams meet for a rematch inside the Rula Tennis Pavilion on Sunday at 11 a.m.
Matt Roberts' squad is 6-3 on the season and building momentum after back-to-back wins. MSU earned a 4-3 road victory over Memphis on Wednesday and topped North Florida 5-2 at home on Friday.
The Bulldogs are led by 26th-ranked Petar Jovanovic, who has already earned 17 singles victories this season. Jovanovic also makes up half of the No. 29 doubles tandem alongside fellow sophomore Benito Sanchez Martinez.
Senior Carles Hernandez has been State's hottest competitor of late, having won 11 of his last 12 singles matches dating back to last spring. Hernandez clinched his 13th career match against the Ospreys on Friday as part of five consecutive singles wins by the Bulldogs.
Sanchez Martinez and freshman Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes have also been heating up, each winning eight of their last 10 singles bouts.
Hernandez, Sanchez Martinez and freshman Radomir Tomic all earned singles victories during Mississippi State's first meeting with VCU. Hernandez and junior Dusan Milanovic also combined for a win in doubles.
Sunday's match will be the fourth time VCU has played in the Rula Tennis Pavilion this season. The Rams are 4-2 overall of the year and own a 2-1 mark in that building. They topped North Florida 5-2 during a neutral site match in Starkville on Saturday.
VCU is led by a pair of ranked singles threats in No. 36 Matisse Bobichon and No. 65 Mathis Bondaz.
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
