MSU Moving On In ITF Main Draw
September 18, 2024 | Men's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – All four Mississippi State men's tennis players participating in the ITF Fayetteville 15K are moving on to the second round of the main draw in both singles and doubles.
The opening round of the singles main draw started on Wednesday and saw another sweep by the Bulldogs with juniors Petar Jovanovic, Mario Martinez Serrano and Benito Sanchez Martinez along with freshman Niccolo Baroni collecting victories.
Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez started the morning with straight-set wins. Jovanovic topped American Keshav Chopra 6-2, 7-5 while Sanchez Martinez dominated Joshua Peck of Canada 6-2, 6-1.
Baroni and Martinez Serrano both showcased their resilience in their first singles action representing MSU. Baroni dropped his first set 6-2 to Jordan Hasson, an Israeli that is a senior at Oklahoma, but battled back to win 7-5, 6-4 in the final sets to advance. Martinez Serrano also rallied against an SEC opponent after losing his first set 6-4 to Arkansas junior Benedikt Emesz. The two-time All-Sun Belt performer that transferred from Troy in the offseason fought back for 7-5, 6-4 victories in the next two sets to secure a win over his Austrian opponent on his collegiate home court.
All four Bulldogs return to the courts for double duty on Thursday, competing in both singles and doubles. Three State student-athletes are in action in the second round of singles starting at 10 a.m. Jovanovic is set to play Luis Carlos Alvarez Valdez of Mexico, Sanchez Martinez faces Australian Derek Pham (a junior at Oklahoma State) and Baroni takes on American Jagger Leach in the early time slot.
Martinez Serrano meets Khololwam Montsi of South Africa in a match that will not begin before 11:30 a.m.
Later that afternoon, the Bulldog doubles teams will meet one another in the quarterfinals. Jovanovic and Sanchez Martinez – the No. 1 team in collegiate tennis – takes on Mississippi State newcomers Baroni and Martinez Serrano for a spot in the semifinals. That match will start after all four players have adequately rested from their morning matches.
ITF Fayetteville 15KÂBillingsley Tennis Center | Fayetteville, Ark.
Sept. 18, 2024
Singles:
Main Draw First Round
Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU / Germany) def. Joshua Peck (Canada): 6-2, 6-1
Petar Jovanovic (MSU / Montenegro) def. Keshav Chopra (USA): 6-2, 7-5
Niccolo Baroni (MSU / Italy) def. Jordan Hasson (Oklahoma / Israel): 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU / Spain) def. Benedikt Emesz (Arkansas / Austria): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook. Â
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Players Mentioned
