Mississippi State
Ohio State
No. 15 MSU Meets Top-Ranked Buckeyes In Sweet 16
May 10, 2024 | Men's Tennis
COLUMBUS, OHIO – For the fifth time in the past six seasons, No. 15 Mississippi State men's tennis is back in the Sweet 16.
The Bulldogs are one of only eight programs in the country to reach the Sweet 16 at least five times since 2018 and one of just two from the Southeastern Conference to accomplish that feat.
Standing in MSU's way of advancing to the NCAA Championships next week is top-ranked Ohio State. The Bulldogs square off against the Buckeyes on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT for a shot to move on to the quarterfinals in Stillwater, Oklahoma next week.
To watch the Mississippi State's match against the Buckeyes at the Outdoor Varsity Tennis Courts, click here. In the event of inclement weather, the matches could move inside the adjacent Ty Tucker Tennis Center.
Matt Roberts' Bulldog squad enters Saturday's match at 19-7 having won eight of their last 10 matches and four of the last five. MSU advanced to the Super Regional round by sweeping the Starkville Regional last weekend with a pair of 4-0 shutouts against Alabama State and No. 37 Middle Tennessee.
One of the keys to the Bulldogs' success down the stretch has been their ability to win the doubles point. Mississippi State has struck first on the scoreboard by claiming the doubles point in 11 of its last 12 matches, including an active streak of eight straight.
Spearheading the Bulldogs' doubles tandems is the country's 11th-ranked duo of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez. The sophomore teammates have clinched the doubles point five times during Mississippi State's current streak and have 22 wins together this year, 10 of which have come over ranked opponents.
Jovanovic and Nemanja Malesevic, both All-SEC performers and ranked in the top 50 in the nation, headline the Bulldogs' singles lineup. No. 47 Malesevic has earned 11 of his 14 singles victories this spring at the top position with seven ranked wins and five match-clinchers. Malesevic's 106 career dual match victories are tied for seventh all-time at MSU with Laurent Miquelard (1992-95) and his 60 career dual match singles wins are the ninth-most in school history.
Malesevic needs one more dual match singles triumph to move into a sixth-place tie in the program's annals with Mattieu Ballay (1996-99), Mark Jeffrey (1988-91) and Giovanni Oradini (2017-21).
Jovanovic – ranked 48th in singles – leads the team with 27 victories this season, eight of which have come against ranked foes.
Ohio State boasts a 32-1 record on the year with its only blemish coming at then No. 12 Texas 5-2 on March 10. The Buckeyes have won 16-straight matches since their loss to the Longhorns and are a perfect 37-0 all-time when playing NCAA Tournament matches at home.
OSU opened the first two rounds of the 2024 NCAA Championships with a 4-0 win against Cleveland State last Friday followed by a 4-1 victory over Oklahoma State the following day.
No. 19 Cannon Kingsley headlines the Buckeyes' singles lineup followed by JJ Tracy (19), Jack Anthrop (30) and Justin Boulais (34).
Ohio State also features five ranked doubles duos. Tracy teams with Robert Cash as the No. 3 team in the country and also makes up the 55th-ranked tandem with Alexander Bernard. Boulais partners with Andrew Lutschaunig as the No. 45 team. Cash also makes up the 84th-ranked duo with Bryce Nakashima while Anthrop doubles with Preston Stearns to solidify the No. 89 duo.
Saturday marks just the fifth time the Bulldogs and Buckeyes have met on the courts. Mississippi State won the first meeting 7-2 to open the 1991 season at the O'Charley's Tennis Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Buckeyes won 6-1 at home over MSU in 2012 and also edged out a 4-3 victory in the quarterfinals of the 2018 NCAA Championships in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Â
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.
