Photo by: LSU Athletics
Three From State Advance To Semifinals
September 20, 2024 | Men's Tennis
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Three members of Mississippi State's men's tennis team are advancing to the semifinals of the singles main draw of the ITF Fayetteville 15K Tournament.
Benito Sanchez Martinez, Mario Martinez Serrano and Niccolo Baroni will all represent the Bulldogs in Saturday's semifinals after earning straight-set wins on Friday.
Sanchez Martinez has been on fire since the tournament began, winning all five of his singles matches in straight sets. The junior from Potsdam, Germany continued that trend on Friday by taking down the fourth overall seed in the tournament, American Alfredo Perez 7-6(6), 6-2.
Martinez Serrano got his first taste of what the SEC will be like facing LSU's Alessio Vasquez Gehrke. The junior who transferred to MSU from Troy during the offseason earned an impressive 7-6(0), 6-2 victory over Vasquez Gehrke while Baroni knocked off the seventh-seeded Christopher Bulus of Nigeria 6-4, 6-1.
On Saturday, Sanchez Martinez faces the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Timo Legout, a French freshman from Texas in the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m. That match is followed by an all-State semifinal as Baroni goes up against teammate and doubles partner, Martinez Serrano, at approximately 1 p.m.
However, those won't be the only Bulldogs in action on Saturday. The ITA All-American Championships also kickoff on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma with prequalifying rounds occurring over the weekend.
Radomir Tomic and Michal Novansky will be the first Mississippi State players in action at the event. Tomic opens against Nicola Signa of Arizona State while Novansky meets Christopher Li of Ohio State with both matches beginning at 8 a.m.
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Once they finish in Fayetteville, No. 60 Martinez Serrano and No. 107 Sanchez Martinez will head to Tulsa on Monday to compete in singles qualifying. No. 13 Petar Jovanovic qualified for the main draw in both singles and doubles at the event and will play alongside Sanchez Martinez as the nation's top doubles tandem.
ITF Fayetteville 15KÂ
Billingsley Tennis Center | Fayetteville, Ark.
Sept. 20, 2024
Singles:
Main Draw Quarterfinals
Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU / Germany) def. Alfredo Perez (USA): 7-6(6), 6-2
Timo Legout (Texas / France) def. Petar Jovanovic (MSU / Montenegro): 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
Niccolo Baroni (MSU / Italy) def. Christopher Bulus (Nigeria): 6-4, 6-1
Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU / Spain) def. Alessio Vasquez Gehrke (LSU / Germany): 7-6(0), 6-2
Doubles:
Main Draw Semifinals
Alfredo Perez / Jack Vance (USA) def. Petar Jovanovic /Â Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU): 3-6, 6-2, 1-0[10]
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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Benito Sanchez Martinez, Mario Martinez Serrano and Niccolo Baroni will all represent the Bulldogs in Saturday's semifinals after earning straight-set wins on Friday.
Sanchez Martinez has been on fire since the tournament began, winning all five of his singles matches in straight sets. The junior from Potsdam, Germany continued that trend on Friday by taking down the fourth overall seed in the tournament, American Alfredo Perez 7-6(6), 6-2.
Martinez Serrano got his first taste of what the SEC will be like facing LSU's Alessio Vasquez Gehrke. The junior who transferred to MSU from Troy during the offseason earned an impressive 7-6(0), 6-2 victory over Vasquez Gehrke while Baroni knocked off the seventh-seeded Christopher Bulus of Nigeria 6-4, 6-1.
On Saturday, Sanchez Martinez faces the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Timo Legout, a French freshman from Texas in the semifinals on Saturday at 10 a.m. That match is followed by an all-State semifinal as Baroni goes up against teammate and doubles partner, Martinez Serrano, at approximately 1 p.m.
However, those won't be the only Bulldogs in action on Saturday. The ITA All-American Championships also kickoff on Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma with prequalifying rounds occurring over the weekend.
Radomir Tomic and Michal Novansky will be the first Mississippi State players in action at the event. Tomic opens against Nicola Signa of Arizona State while Novansky meets Christopher Li of Ohio State with both matches beginning at 8 a.m.
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Once they finish in Fayetteville, No. 60 Martinez Serrano and No. 107 Sanchez Martinez will head to Tulsa on Monday to compete in singles qualifying. No. 13 Petar Jovanovic qualified for the main draw in both singles and doubles at the event and will play alongside Sanchez Martinez as the nation's top doubles tandem.
ITF Fayetteville 15KÂ
Billingsley Tennis Center | Fayetteville, Ark.
Sept. 20, 2024
Singles:
Main Draw Quarterfinals
Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU / Germany) def. Alfredo Perez (USA): 7-6(6), 6-2
Timo Legout (Texas / France) def. Petar Jovanovic (MSU / Montenegro): 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
Niccolo Baroni (MSU / Italy) def. Christopher Bulus (Nigeria): 6-4, 6-1
Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU / Spain) def. Alessio Vasquez Gehrke (LSU / Germany): 7-6(0), 6-2
Doubles:
Main Draw Semifinals
Alfredo Perez / Jack Vance (USA) def. Petar Jovanovic /Â Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU): 3-6, 6-2, 1-0[10]
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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