BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Mississippi State defeated South Carolina 4-0 in the SEC men’s tennis quarterfinals Friday at Mitchell Tennis Center. The No. 6 Bulldogs secured the win with a strong start, winning the doubles point and winning four singles matches.
In doubles, Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes won 6-3 over Charlie Swaine and Gabe Avram. Benito Sanchez Martinez and Michal Novansky, ranked 77th, clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 victory over South Carolina’s No. 7 team, Lucas Andrade da Silva and Paul Barbier Gazeu. Mario Martinez Serrano and Hernandez Cortes also contributed to the doubles win, with a 6-3 victory on court three.
In singles, Hernandez Cortes and Martinez Serrano quickly built the team’s lead. Hernandez Cortes defeated Atakan Karahan 6-2, 6-4, and Martinez Serrano beat Sean Daryabeigi 6-2, 6-2. Raphael Vaksmann secured the clincher with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Max Stenzer on court four. The Bulldogs advanced to the SEC semifinals to face the winner of Saturday’s LSU-Ga. match.
Hernandez Cortes extended his winning streak to seven matches, tying his career best. Martinez Serrano matched his season-high 23 singles wins. Vaksmann earned his 15th dual singles victory of the season, while Sanchez Martinez and Novansky recorded their first top-10 victory as a team. The Bulldogs improved to 21-4 overall and 11-3 in SEC play.
Mississippi State’s next match will be in the SEC semifinals, scheduled for Saturday against either LSU or Georgia, depending on the outcome of that game.
