Bulldogs Continue Upset Run; Move Into SEC Semis With 4-2 Win Over Fourth-Seeded Kentucky
State advances to Saturday's semifinal to face top-seeded and top-ranked Georgia (23-0). In the othersemifinal matchup, second-seeded and 14th-ranked Florida (15-6)will face third-seeded and 13th-ranked Mississippi (19-4). Both matches areslated to begin at 2 p.m. CT at the Alabama Tennis Complex.
The match, which started outside, was forced indoors during doubles play due tosevere weather in the Tuscaloosa area. After the match resumed, Kentuckyoutlasted State on two of the three doubles courts to claim the first point ofthe match. The first completed was on court #2 where UK's duo of Nate Emge andBruno Agostinelli defeated State's Philippe Frayssinoux and Pierre Mouillon8-3. The Bulldog pair of Florent Girod and Josh Irey was second off the courts,taking an 8-6 victory on court #3 over Greg Johnstone and Kenny Hodge. In thedeciding match on court #1, Kentucky's Alex Hume and Marcus Sundh defeated theMSU tandem of Ivan Bjelica and Jose-Carlos Pinto to claim the first point ofthe match for the Wildcats.
Much like in their match against LSU on Thursday, State turned the momentumaround once singles play began. MSU's Mouillon evened the team score at 1-1,winning 6-4, 6-4 over UK's 73rd-ranked Agostinelli on the #2 court. Bulldogsenior Pinto gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage, downing UK's Emge 6-2, 7-5 oncourt #3. Moments later, UK's 51st-ranked Hume downed MSU's 80th-ranked Bjelica6-4, 7-5 to even the score at 2-2.
With the match in a deadlock, three matches remained on the courts to decidethe outcome. On court #4, MSU's Frayssinoux lost the first set 6-2 and was downa break in the second set to UK's Sundh. However, Frayssinoux rallied to winthe second set in a tiebreaker, sending the match to a third set. In the finalset, Frayssinoux found himself down a break once again, but fought back anddefeated Sundh 6-4 to give State a 3-2 advantage.
On court #6, MSU freshman Eric Lim rallied from down a break in the first setto overcome Kentucky's Hodge 6-4. Lim broke serve early in the second set andnever looked back, winning 6-3, earning his second straight win and theclinching point for the Bulldogs. On court #5, MSU's Girod had rallied from a6-1, 3-0 deficit, and was leading UK's Rubin 1-6, 6-3, 2-1 when play wassuspended after State had clinched the match.
#62 MSU 4, #30 KENTUCKY 2
4/21/06
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP-TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
Doubles -Hume/Sundh (KEN) def. Bjelica/Pinto (MSU) 8-4; Emge/Agostinelli (KEN)def. Frayssinoux/Mouillon (MSU) 8-3; Girod/Irey (MSU) def. Johnstone/Hodge(KEN) 8-6.
Singles - #51 Alex Hume (KEN) def. #80 Ivan Bjelica (MSU) 6-4, 7-5; PierreMouillon (MSU) def. #73 Bruno Agostinelli (KEN) 6-4, 6-4; Jose-Carlos Pinto(MSU) def. Nate Emge (KEN) 6-2, 6-4; Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) def. MarcusSundh (KEN) 2-6, 7-6, 6-4; Florent Girod (MSU) vs. Carey Rubin (KEN) 1-6, 6-3,2-1, susp.; Eric Lim (MSU) def. Kenny Hodge (KEN) 6-4, 6-3.