Mississippi State
Arkansas
No. 12 MSU Finishing Regular Season In Fayetteville
April 13, 2024 | Men's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mississippi State wraps up its regular season on the road as the 12th-ranked Bulldogs travel to No. 34 Arkansas on Sunday at 1 p.m.
MSU (16-6, 8-3 SEC) has fared well on the road this season, having posted a 6-2 mark away from Starkville. The Bulldogs have won four consecutive road matches against ranked opponents, including a 4-2 victory their last time out at now 26th- ranked Auburn last Sunday.
No. 42 Petar Jovanovic highlights the Bulldogs' singles lineup and is coming off his 50th career singles win his last time out. Jovanovic leads MSU with 25 singles wins this season, including a team-best seven victories over ranked opponents.
Nemanja Malesevic rose 37 spots in the latest ITA singles rankings up to No. 70. Malesevic clinched his team-high fifth match of the season at Auburn last weekend and has won nine of his 12 dual match victories at the top position this spring.
Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez have also ascended to a career-best ranking of No. 16 in doubles. The Bulldogs' sophomore duo has won six of their last seven decisions together – all against ranked foes, three of which were top 20 wins.
The Bulldogs have dominated the series against Arkansas over the years. State holds a 34-8 lead in the overall series and are 14-2 as the away team against the Razorbacks. The Bulldogs have come out on top in 15 of the last 16 meetings, including a 6-1 victory in Starkville last spring.
Jovanovic, Malesevic, Sanchez Martinez and Carles Hernandez all enjoyed singles wins against the Hogs last season.
Arkansas heads into Sunday's affair riding a five-match winning streak, all of which have come against ranked opponents. The Razorbacks edged No. 25 Florida 4-3 on Friday at the Billingsley Tennis Center and are set to host Lindenwood on Sunday following the conclusion the match with Mississippi State.
Gerald Planelles Rippoll headlines Arkansas' singles lineup at No. 89. Sanchez Martinez defeated Planelles Rippoll 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) last season. The Hogs also have one ranked doubles tandem in No. 47 Bozo Barun and Jared Horwood.
Mississippi State enters the final day of regular season play in third place in the Southeastern Conference standings and a one-match lead on Texas A&M to hold that placement for next week's SEC Championships in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
