Bulldog Netmen Upset No. 20 LSU To Advance To SEC Championship Quarters
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 12th-seeded Mississippi State men's tennis team moved into the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Championship with a 4-2 upset win over fifth-seeded and 20th-ranked LSU on Thursday. The Bulldogs advance to face fourth-seeded Kentucky at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Alabama Tennis Complex.
LSU won the opening point of the match, winning all three doubles matches. The first completed was on court #2 where the 30th-ranked duo of Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston knocked off State's Ryan Farlow and Florent Girod 8-2. The Tigers clinched the doubles point when Tigers James Cluskey and Paul White defeated MSU's pair of Eric Lim and Josh Irey 8-3 on court #3. The match on court #1 was suspended with the ninth-ranked LSU pair of Mark Growcott and Ken Skupski leading Bulldogs Ivan Bjelica and Jose-Carlos Pinto 7-2.
When singles play began, it was the Bulldogs that gained the early momentum. State won the first set on five of the six courts. However, it was LSU that won the first singles match to gain a 2-0 lead when Growcott defeated MSU's Mouillon 6-3, 6-4 on court #2. State narrowed the margin to 2-1 when sophomore Philippe Frayssinoux won 7-5, 6-0 over LSU's Bryan on court #4. MSU evened the match at 2-2 when Bulldog senior Florent Girod overcame LSU's Cluskey 7-6, 6-3 at the #5 spot. State's Lim snapped a five-match losing skid and gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 advantage with a 7-6, 7-6 win on court #6. The clinching point for State came on court #3 when Bulldog senior Pinto outlasted LSU's 110th-ranked Gaston 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 to give State their first win over LSU since 2001. The match on court #1 between LSU's 24th-ranked Skupski and 80th-ranked Bjelica was suspended with Skupski leading 3-6, 7-6, 5-4.
The win over LSU solidifies State's 14th appearance in the last 16 years in the quarterfinals of the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs will meet Kentucky for the second time this season as UK won a 4-3 decision earlier this season in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats are 16-8 overall this season including a 7-4 mark in league play. MSU and UK have met two previous times in the SEC Championship since it was initiated in 1990. The Bulldogs won 5-2 over UK in the quarters of the 1994 tournament while the Bulldogs fell to UK 4-2 in the first round of the 2002 tournament.
#62 MSU 4, #20 LSU 2
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP-TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
Doubles - #30 Danny Bryan/Colt Gaston (LSU) def. Ryan Farlow/Florent Girod (MSU) 8-2; James Cluskey/Paul White (LSU) def. Josh Irey/Eric Lim (MSU) 8-3; #9 Mark Growcott/Ken Skupski (LSU) vs. Ivan Bjelica/Jose-Carlos Pinto (MSU) LSU led 7-2, susp.
Singles - Growcott (LSU) def. Mouillon (MSU) 6-3, 6-4; Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) def. Bryan (LSU) 7-5, 6-0; Girod (MSU) def. Cluskey (LSU) 7-6, 6-3; Lim (MSU) def. Campbell (LSU) 7-6, 7-6; Pinto (MSU) def. #110 Gaston (LSU) 6-3, 5-7, 7-5; #24 Skupski (LSU) vs. #80 Bjelica (MSU) LSU led 3-6, 7-6, 5-4.