Thursday was a busy day in the SEC with eight teams in action however the highest profile match of the day didn’t quite live up to expectations. Georgia, ranked No. 14, strolled into Starkville and took out the host No. 17 Mississippi State 4-0 in just under two and a half hours. The doubles point itself took just under an hour with two of the three matches going to tiebreaks. Mississippi State’s No. 2 team of Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter won the only match that didn’t go to a tiebreak. Cutura and Hunter broke from 30/40 to go up 3-2 and then they came back from 15/40 down to hold for 4-2. After an exchange of holds, Cutura and Hunter broke at love to take it 6-3.
The other two matches looked like they’d be blowouts after the way each started. Mississippi State’s Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey jumped out to a 4-1 lead at No. 1 but Georgia’s Robert Loeb and Jan Zielinski came back to tie it at 4-4. Mississippi State held on the no-ad point for 5-4 and after three more holds it’d go to a tiebreak. Georgia jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak and they wouldn’t drop a point on serve and would win it 7-3.
Georgia’s Walker Duncan and Wayne Montgomery jumped out to a 4-0 lead at No. 2 doubles however Mississippi State’s Nuno Borges and Giovanni Oradini would come all the way back to tie it at 5-5 after breaking Georgia on the no-ad point. Each team had an easy hold to push it to a tiebreak and then Georgia went up a mini-break at 2-1 and pulled away to win it 7-5.
Georgia carried the momentum from winning the doubles point into singles and took four opening sets. Georgia sophomore Walker Duncan put the Bulldogs ahead 2-0 with a straight set win at No. 5. Duncan broke Oradini from 30/40 to go up 2-1 in the first and then he’d break on the no-ad point to make it 4-1. After an exchange of holds, Duncan would serve out the opening set at love to take it 6-2. Duncan broke Oradini from 15/40 to start the second set and then he’d break again from 15/40 to make it 4-1. A few games later Duncan served it out from 40/15 to win 6-2, 6-2.
Less than four minutes later Georgia freshman Robert Loeb would make it 3-0 after he won in straight sets at No. 6. Loeb won the opening two games of the match to go in front 2-0 however Trevor Foshey would break and hold for 2-2. After Loeb held on the no-ad point for 4-3, he’d break Foshey from 30/40 to go up 5-3 and then he came back from 30/40 down to take the set 6-3. Loeb broke Foshey from 15/40 to start the second set and then he’d break again on the no-ad point for 3-0. Loeb would add a third break for 5-0 and then he’d serve out the match from 40/30 to win 6-3, 6-0.
Georgia junior Wayne Montgomery would provide the clincher with a straight set win at No. 2. Montgomery broke Mate Cutura at love to go up 4-3 in the first set and a few games later he’d hold at love to take the set 6-4. Montgomery went up a double break at 3-0 in the second however Cutura broke and held for 3-2. Cutura had two break points to get it back on serve however Montgomery fought them off an held on the no-ad point for 4-2. After back-to-back holds, Montgomery went up 0/40 on Cutura’s 3-5 service game however Cutura came back to get the hold for 4-5. Montgomery then closed it out with a hold from 40/15 to win 6-4, 6-4.
All the remaining matches were abandoned with each in the opening stages of the third set.
#14 Georgia 4, #17 Mississippi State 0
March 30, 2017 – Starkville, Miss. – A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre
Doubles Results
1. No. 8 Robert Loeb/Jan Zielinski (UGA) def. No. 31 Niclas Braun/Trevor Foshey (MSU) 7-6(3)
2. Mate Cutura/Vaughn Hunter (MSU) def. No. 48 Nathan Ponwith/Emil Reinberg (UGA) 6-3
3. Walker Duncan/Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. Nuno Borges/Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 7-6(5)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles Results
1. Nathan Ponwith (UGA) vs. No. 8 Nuno Borges (MSU) 6-4, 0-6, 0-1, suspended
2. No. 32 Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. Mate Cutura (MSU) 6-4, 6-4*
3. No. 65 Emil Reinberg (UGA) vs. No. 110 Strahinja Rakic (MSU) 4-6, 6-3, suspended
4. Jan Zielinski (UGA) vs. Niclas Braun (MSU) 4-6, 6-2, suspended
5. Walker Duncan (UGA) def. Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Robert Loeb (UGA) def. Trevor Foshey (MSU) 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 5, 6, 2
* – Match-clinching win
Post-Match Quotes from Georgia’s recap
“We knew we were going to have to battle a little wind and were going to face a very tough Mississippi State team today,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “I give a lot of credit to our guys for how they responded to play extremely well against a team that had won 10 of its last 11 matches coming into today. We showed a lot of resiliency in doubles and then came back and really showed up to play in singles. We are happy to get out of here with a win and will have to be ready to play a good Auburn team on Saturday.”
Post-Match Quotes from Mississippi State’s recap
“Tip your hat to Georgia, they have a great team and showed why today,” head coach Matt Roberts said. “We had a battle in doubles play and felt pretty good about our effort there, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Georgia. Today is a tough loss, but we’re going to move forward and prepare for Tennessee on Saturday.”
“I’m very happy with how Mate and Vaughn played in doubles,” Roberts said. “The seniors stepped up big and that was a nice ranked win against a tough team.”
BULLS WIN BULLS WIN!!!!
Vadym Kalyuzhnyy finishes Tyler Schick in a third set victory, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2!! #GoBulls
— USF Men’s Tennis (@USFMTEN) March 30, 2017
Mar 30, 2017 at Tampa, Fla. (USF Varsity Tennis Courts)
Singles competition
1. #62 Sasha Gozun (USF) def. #18 Constantin Schmitz (TLN) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Justin Roberts (USF) def. Ewan Moore (TLN) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
3. Sebastian Rey (TLN) def. Alberto Barroso (USF) 6-4, 6-3
4. Peter Bertran (USF) def. Luis Erlenbusch (TLN) 6-3, 6-2
5. Vadym Kalyuzhnyy (USF) def. Tyler Schick (TLN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Chi-Shan Jao (TLN) def. Pierre Luquet (USF) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #50 Sasha Gozun/Alberto Barroso (USF) vs. Constantin Schmitz/Chi-Shan Jao (TLN) 4-5, unfinished
2. Peter Bertran/Justin Roberts (USF) def. Sebastian Rey/Tim Ruetzel (TLN) 6-4
3. Vadym Kalyuzhnyy/Jakub Wojcik (USF) def. Tyler Schick/Ewan Moore (TLN) 6-4
Match Notes:
Tulane 13-4; National ranking #29
University of South Florida 12-6; National ranking #26
Head Coach Ashley Fisher on Gozun’s win…“He’s really played well this spring, and he played that guy really close last season and lost. I feel like Sasha is playing the best tennis of his career right now. I felt that he could get that win, and he went out and executed well and did it.”
Cats clinch the win! The match moves inside because of rain and Trey Yates earns a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Panu Virtanen.
— Kentucky Mens Tennis (@UKMensTennis) March 31, 2017
Mar 30, 2017 at Nashville, Tenn. (Currey Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Daniel Valent (VANDY) def. #17 Will Bushamuka (UK) 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5)
2. Baker Newman (VANDY) def. #24 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) 6-4, 7-5
3. Billy Rowe (VANDY) def. Beck Pennington (UK) 6-4, 7-5
4. #113 Nils Ellefsen (UK) def. Lachlan McPhee (VANDY) 6-3, 6-3
5. Trey Yates (UK) def. Panu Virtanen (VANDY) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
6. Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Alex Ross (VANDY) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #39 Lachlan McPhee/Billy Rowe (VANDY) def. #27 Beck Pennington/Enzo Wallart (UK) 6-0
2. #77 Will Bushamuka/Nils Ellefsen (UK) def. Pen Binet/Panu Virtanen (VANDY) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Gus Benson/Trey Yates (UK) def. Daniel Valent/Baker Newman (VANDY) 6-3
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,3,2,6,5,1)
Post-Match Quotes from Kentucky’s recap
“Winning ugly is part of our sport,” head coach Cedric Kauffmann said. “It is never easy to win on the road in the SEC. I am proud that we dug deep in the doubles to get the point. The wind took our games away a little, but we have to adjust our footwork and targets better than that. Nils (Ellefsen), Enzo (Wallart) and Trey (Yates) have had a really good couple of matches. They are confident and fighting hard. I know Beck (Pennington), Will (Bushamuka) and Ryo (Matsumura) will bounce back Saturday against Florida, which will be a big match. We will need everyone to step up their game.”
Post-Match Quotes from Vandy’s recap
“It’s hard to lose,” said head coach Ian Duvenhage. “We’ve obviously taken it on the chin few times in a row, but honestly I’m proud of the way we’re competing. We’re hanging in there and getting better. I see progress in so many areas, and the only negative was that we didn’t win the match.
“What’s been happening is some of our guys have lost and you can tell late in matches that they’re unsure of themselves. I told the team following the match that I’ve never seen a player or a team that does things the right way not turn the corner. We played this match the right way, and we didn’t win it, but if we keep playing this way we will turn the corner.”
“We had chances in doubles,” Duvenhage recalled. “I thought Billy and Lachlan played as close to a flawless match as I’ve seen. I didn’t think we played very well at three; usually those guys come through for us. But I’m proud of how we competed in singles.”
“Baker is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached,” said Duvenhage. “He hangs in there like the best of them, but sometimes isn’t methodical and gets ahead of himself. Today he played one of his best matches. He was as methodical as I’ve ever seen him, and when he plays like that he’s tough to beat.”
Gators win! Maxx Lipman clinches the match for the Gators with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Spencer Richey on court 5! #GoGators
— Gators Men’s Tennis (@GatorsMTN) March 31, 2017
#12 Florida 4, Alabama 0
Mar 30, 2017 at Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Alabama Tennis Stadium)
Singles competition
1. #35 Mazen Osama (UA) vs. #7 Alfredo Perez (UF) 6-1, 5-7, unfinished
2. #105 Thibault Cancel (UA) vs. #106 Elliot Orkin (UF) 6-7, 3-5, unfinished
3. Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) def. Edson Ortiz (UA) 6-2, 6-0
4. Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. Alexey Nesterov (UA) 6-3, 6-0
5. Maxx Lipman (UF) def. Spencer Richey (UA) 6-3, 7-6
6. Zhe Zhou (UA) vs. Joseph Guillin (UF) 3-6, 5-6, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #40 Mazen Osama/Spencer Richey (UA) vs. #6 Johannes Ingildsen/Alfredo Perez (UF) 6-6, unfinished
2. Maxx Lipman/Elliot Orkin (UF) def. Thibault Cancel/Alexey Nesterov (UA) 7-5
3. Chase Perez-Blanco/Joshua Wardell (UF) def. Edson Ortiz/Zhe Zhou (UA) 6-1
Match Notes:
Florida 13-6, 6-1 SEC; National ranking #12
Alabama 8-13, 1-7 SEC
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,4,5)
T-3:00 A-201
Tigers win! Conner clinches the victory with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win on court three! #WarEagle
— Auburn Men’s Tennis (@AuburnMTennis) March 30, 2017
#48 Auburn 5, Tennessee 2
Mar 30, 2017 at Auburn, Ala. (Yarbrough Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #67 Max Hinnisdaels (AUBURN) def. #34 Timo Stodder (TENN) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
2. Luis Valero (TENN) def. Carles Sarrio (AUBURN) 6-3, 7-5
3. Conner Huertas (AUBURN) def. Scott Jones (TENN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
4. Olle Thestrup (AUBURN) def. Srdjan Jakovljevic (TENN) 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
5. Edward Nguyen (AUBURN) def. Luca Wiedenmann (TENN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
6. Dante Saleh (AUBURN) def. Sunay Bhat (TENN) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Luis Valero/Timo Stodder (TENN) def. #18 Max Hinnisdaels/Conner Huertas (AUBURN) 6-4
2. Luca Wiedenmann/Srdjan Jakovljevic (TENN) def. Edward Nguyen/Brandon Laubser (AUBURN) 6-4
3. Dante Saleh/Olle Thestrup (AUBURN) def. Scott Jones/Sunay Bhat (TENN) 6-3
Match Notes:
Tennessee 9-10
Auburn 12-9; National ranking #48
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,2,1,5,3,4)
Started outdoors; Restarted indoors after 15 minute weather delay
Official: Chris Rodger T-3:00
Latest Comments