#14 MSU Netmen Down Arkansas To Stay In Thick Of SEC Title Race; Host #22 LSU Sunday
With the victory, State improved to 11-4 overall, 6-1 in the SEC. Statealso assured itself of its first winning record in the league since 2000.Arkansas fell to 3-12, 1-6. State now leads the series with the Razorbacks17-5, 7-1 in Fayetteville.
Arkansas gained the first point of the day by sweeping doubles play, butState would come out strong in singles, securing the first set in five ofthe six matches to set up the win.
Evening the score at 1-1 for State would be junior Florent Girod, whosimply continues to produce for the Bulldogs. The Belfort, France, nativecruised to a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Arkansas' Michael Jung at the No. 5position to stay flawless in singles in team play this spring, as heimproved to 13-0 during the dual match campaign, 7-0 in the SEC.
MSU grabbed its first lead of the day when junior Jose-Carlos Pintoregistered a solid 6-2, 6-3 win over Razorback Jimmy Khougassian at the No.4 spot to break a three-match losing skid. Arkansas knotted score at 2-2with its only singles triumph of the day, a 6-3, 6-2 win from Adrians Zgunsover State's Ivan Bjelica at No. 1.
State would claim the last three matches of the day for the win. PuttingMSU up 3-2 was true freshman Philippe Frayssinoux, who upset 57th-rankedRazorback Rohan Gajjar 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 2 position for the highest rankedwin of his young career. The match-clincher came at the bottom spot in thelineup, where Bulldog sophomore Arnaud Roussel posted a 6-4, 6-3 win overUA's Imraan Ismail. It was Roussel's fourth match-clinching win in the sixcontests in which he has graced the MSU lineup in 2005.
Finishing off the scoring for State was rookie Pierre Mouillon. The LePerreux, France, product won for the ninth consecutive time (and improved to7-0 in SEC affairs) in downing Arkansas' Matt Roberts 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3.
"I was pleased with the way the guys did not let losing the doublespoint get them down today," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. "They cameout early in singles and really set the tone for the rest of the match. Thiswas a good road win against a solid team. Now we set our sights on startinga difficult homestand against a very difficult opponent Sunday in LSU."
MSU will host the 22nd-ranked Tigers Sunday at 1 p.m. at the A.J. PittsTennis Centre to start a four-match homestand that will end the regularseason slate. After taking a 3-1 lead Friday in Oxford, LSU eventuallydropped a tough 4-3 decision to fourth-ranked Mississippi. During itshomestand, State will also entertain No. 9 Florida (Apr. 8), No. 34 SouthCarolina (Apr. 10) and the No. 4 Rebels (Apr. 16). The Florida and SouthCarolina matchups are part of Super Bulldog Weekend activities.
#14 MISSISSIPPI STATE 5, #70 ARKANSAS 2
DOUBLES - Rohan Gajjar/Adrians Zguns (UA) def. #22 LuizCarvalho/Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) 8-5; Imraan Ismail/Matt Roberts (UA) def.Philippe Frayssinoux/Florent Girod (MSU) 8-4; Michael Jung/Andrei Nicoara(UA) def. Ivan Bjelica/Pierre Mouillon (MSU) 9-8(12). SINGLES - Zguns (UA) def. Bjelica (MSU) 6-3, 6-2; Frayssinoux (MSU) def.#57 Rohan Gajjar (UA) 6-3, 6-4; Mouillon (MSU) def. Matt Roberts (UA) 6-4,6-2; Pinto (MSU) def. Jimmy Khougassian (UA) 6-2, 6-3; Girod (MSU) def. Jung(UA) 6-2, 6-1; Arnaud Roussel (MSU) def. Imraan Ismail (UA) 6-4, 6-3.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)