#21 Bulldogs Set To Host #30 Rebels In Tennis Showdown Saturday
Seniors Antonio Lastre, Max Gregor Smith and Tanner Stump will be honored prior to Saturday’s match.
State, 12-7 overall and 7-3 in the SEC, claimed the Western Division crown last weekend after road wins at #21 Auburn and #42 Alabama. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last nine contests with only two tough 4-3 setbacks to top 20 teams Florida and Georgia in the loss column during that stretch.
The Rebels will enter Saturday’s affair at 11-7 overall and 5-5 in league play. UM has dropped three of its last four contests, but two of those setbacks were to current top 5 teams Tennessee and Georgia in close 4-3 decisions.
Four Bulldogs are ranked in the top 100 nationally in singles with George Coupland (55th), Artem Ilyushin (66th), Louis Cant (76th) and Malte Stropp (89th). Cant and Stropp have each won nine straight matches. In doubles, Coupland and Ilyushin are rated 36th nationally while Cant and Stropp team to form the country’s 53rd-ranked duo.
Ole Miss has two players ranked in singles in Marcel Thiemann (36th) and Tucker Vorster (98th). Thiemann and brother Christoph are the nation’s No. 9 doubles tandem.
“This will obviously be a great match to watch and will be a classic rivalry matchup,” MSU head coach Per Nilsson said. “We need everyone to come out Saturday and help us end the regular season on a high note.”
Follow Saturday’s rivalry matchup, State will prepare for the 2011 SEC Championship, to be held April 21-24 in Gainesville, Fla.