Mississippi State bounced back from Monday’s loss at Kentucky with a 6-1 home win Thursday over LSU, breaking back above the .500 mark in Southeastern Conference play.
The No. 19 Bulldogs’ top doubles team of juniors Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez, ranked 10th in the country, got things started with a 6-1 victory. MSU then clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win at No. 2 from freshman Niccolo Baroni and junior Mario Martinez Serrano.
“It was a good match. We were prepared to play today,” Sanchez Martinez said. “We were ready for it. We were really in a zone. We knew LSU was going to come for us, and we knew they were hungry. We all did a good job of handling that pressure.”
Jovanovic dominated his singles match at the top spot, earning a 6-1, 6-0 win to put the Bulldogs up by two points in the match. The Tigers pulled back at No. 3 singles when senior Dusan Milanovic lost 6-2, 6-2, but Martinez Serrano put MSU on the brink of victory at No. 5 with a 6-3, 6-4 win. Sanchez Martinez wrapped things up a short time later at No. 2, winning his match 6-1, 7-5.
The two remaining matches were played out, but with the outcome already decided, the third set was decided on a super-tiebreak. Sophomore Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes and Baroni were both victorious after splitting their first two sets.
The Bulldogs (12-2, 2-1 SEC) are back in action next Thursday at No. 4 Texas.
“Today was a good match. LSU is a lot better than their ranking. They competed well, and we knew it would be a tricky match because they were trying to get ranked wins to get into the tournament,” MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. “I’m really happy for (Jovanovic). He was clinical today and took care of business at No. 1 singles. He lost two tough matches last week, but that’s what I love about him. He doesn’t let losses affect his confidence.”
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