Mississippi State men’s tennis defeated Auburn 5-2 Saturday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama. The Bulldogs improved to 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Southeastern Conference play, extending their winning streak over the Tigers to 13 matches, according to school officials.
Mississippi State took an early lead by winning the doubles point. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes secured a 6-2 victory on court three, followed by Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez winning 6-2 on court one to clinch the point.
In singles, Mario Martinez Serrano earned a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 43 singles. Jovanovic defeated No. 86 Billy Blaydes 6-2, 6-3. Raphael Vaksmann sealed the match for the Bulldogs with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Freddy Blaydes. Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes also added a win, rallying from a set down to beat No. 84 Manel Lazaro 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Both Sanchez Martinez and Hernandez Cortes lost their matches in three sets. Mississippi State’s record now stands at 11-2 overall and 2-1 in SEC play. The Bulldogs defeated Auburn twice this season for the first time since 2013. They also extended their season-long streak of winning doubles points to three matches.
Mississippi State will host Tennessee at 3 p.m. March 6 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
