Despite Great Effort, #20 Netmen Fall To #3 Rebels 4-3
With the setback, State dropped to 11-7 overall and finished second in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division at 6-5, its first winning mark in the league since 2000. UM grabbed its 20th win of the season (now 20-2), and claimed a share of the SEC crown, tying Florida at 10-1. The Rebels won their 15th straight over the Bulldogs.
UM got on the board first in the match by claiming the opening doubles point with identical 8-3 wins at the No. 1 and 2 positions. But in singles, State would claim the first set in four of the six contests to try and get back in the match.
State tied the score at 1-1 when junior Florent Girod improved to 14-3 in dual matches this season, upsetting 109th-ranked Rebel Karim Alayli at the No. 6 position. The Rebels went back on top when Catalin Gard, ranked sixth nationally in singles, completed a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Bulldog Ivan Bjelica at No. 1.
The turning point in the match came at the No. 2 spot. It was there that Rebel Eric Claesson overcame dropping the first set 6-1 to Bulldog true freshman Pierre Mouillon to win 1-6, 6-1, 6-0. That swing point put the Rebels up 3-1, needing only one more point for the win. The rookie Mouillon, who was 13-3 in dual matches and 9-1 in the SEC coming into the day, was playing his first career match at No. 2.
The point UM needed would come at the No. 4 spot, where Juan Pablo Di Cesare, down a break in the second set at 4-2, won the next four games to finish his victory over MSU's Luiz Carvalho 6-2, 6-4. Di Cesare is now 18-1 this season, 10-1 in SEC battles.
State would claim triumphs in the last two matches on court, both in three-set affairs. Junior Jose-Carlos Pinto notched a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over Rebel Jakob Klaeson at No. 5, while MSU freshman Philippe Frayssinoux grabbed a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory over UM's 102nd-ranked Erling Tveit at No. 3, marking only the second loss of the year for the Rebel rookie.
"I was extremely proud of our team's effort today. We were very prepared for this match," MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. ³We knew losing the doubles wouldn't kill us and it didn't. It just came down to a couple of close matches that made the difference. That was a tough loss for Pierre at No. 2. He has been our best player in the SEC this season and he just hit the rookie wall a little today. But that's part of the game and he will be better in the future with that experience.
"We have no reason at all to hang our heads after this match, losing to a great Ole Miss team that hasn't lost to too many people anywhere this year. After the performance we gave today, I feel like we are moving in the right direction."
MSU will now compete in the 2005 SEC Championship to be held this week, April 21-24, in Athens, Ga. The draw and times for the weekend will be announced following this weekend's competition.
#3 MISSISSIPPI 4, #20 MISSISSIPPI STATE 3
DOUBLES - #35 Eric Claesson/Catalin Gard (UM) def. Ivan Bjelica/Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) 8-3; Fredrik Aarum/Erling Tveit (UM) def. Luiz Carvalho/Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) 8-3; Florent Girod/Pierre Mouillon (MSU) def. Bram ten Berge/Jakob Klaeson (UM) 5-7, def.
SINGLES - #6 Gard (UM) def. Bjelica (MSU) 6-3, 6-3; Claesson (UM) def. Mouillon (MSU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-0; Frayssinoux (MSU) def. #102 Tveit (UM) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2; Juan Pablo Di Cesare (UM) def. Carvalho (MSU) 6-2, 6-4; Pinto (MSU) def. Klaeson (UM) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Girod (MSU) def. #109 Karim Alayli (UM) 6-2, 6-4.
(numbers preceding names are current national rankings)