#14 State Tennis To Open SEC Home Slate With Alabama
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Following an impressive showing at the Blue-Gray Classic last weekend, Mississippi State's 14th-ranked men's tennis squad welcomes No. 46 Alabama on Friday for their 2012 Southeastern Conference opener.
Match time is slated for 2 p.m. CT at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on the campus of Mississippi State University. In case of inclement weather, the match will be rescheduled to Saturday morning and a time to be announced.
In their lengthy campaign, MSU holds the 44-32 advantage over the Crimson Tide with the Bulldogs taking a 5-2 decision in last spring's meeting at UA.
A trio of seniors lead the charge for State in singles. 27th-ranked Artem Ilyushin is on a three-match win streak, all coming against opponents in the top 35. No. 37 Louis Cant is undefeated this spring with a 9-0 slate while fellow senior George Coupland, ranked 42nd, has posted a solid 8-1 record thus far.
Two juniors are also displaying their talents including James Chaudry and Ethan Wilkinson. In doubles, the duo has been solid in helping MSU grab the 1-0 lead following doubles play.
Sophomores Malte Stropp, ranked 75th in the recent ITA poll, and Zach White are also on solid win streaks for the Dogs. On his current four-match win streak, Stropp moved up 34 spots in the ITA poll this week while White has earned three-straight victories en route to clinching for MSU in the past two matches.
In doubles play, the 23rd-ranked duo of Cant and Stropp take the top spot for MSU with 28 career victories.
Alabama's 115th-ranked Daniil Proskura holds the rankings in both singles and doubles for the Tide as he is ranked 33rd alongside teammate Carlos Taborga.
Following Friday's match-up with Alabama, the Bulldogs turn around to host 12th-ranked Auburn on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT and then welcome fourth-ranked Virginia in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CT.
Live stats will be available at www.hailstate.com and also follow updates on Twitter (@mstateMT).