No. 29 Net Dogs To Host No. 27 Tennessee Sunday
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State's 29th-ranked men's tennis team will host the second contest in an important three-match Southeastern Conference homestand Sunday, welcoming 27th-ranked Tennessee to the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre on campus. Match time between the Bulldogs and Volunteers is set for 1 p.m.
State (7-4, 2-1 SEC) is coming off its first home loss of the seasonFriday, dropping a 5-2 decision to No. 17 Georgia. Tennessee (8-4, 1-2 SEC)was a 5-2 victim of second-ranked Mississippi in Oxford Friday afternoon.
UT leads the series with MSU 24-11 since 1969. The Bulldogs took theonly meeting between the teams last season, posting a 6-1 win in Knoxville.
MSU is led by two-time, all-American senior Romain Ambert, currentlyranked 13th nationally in singles. Tennessee's Simon Rea is 42nd in thecountry. In doubles, State's Ambert and Florent Girod are currently thenation's 49th-best duo. UT's team of Mark Dietrich and Wade Orr is rated47th.
"Tennessee will be another very tough matchup for us," MSU head coachSylvain Guichard said. ?They have had a good season so far, with all oftheir losses being very close to good teams. We will have to focus betterthan we did Friday against Georgia if we are to beat them."
Following Sunday's match, State remains at home to close out their 2004home slate this Friday, March 26, hosting No. 24 Arkansas.