Mississippi State Men’s Tennis Edges No. 3 Texas in Narrow 4-3 Loss

The Mississippi State men’s tennis team, ranked No. 10, suffered a 4-3 loss to No. 3 Texas on Monday at the Rula Tennis Pavilion in Starkville. The Bulldogs secured the doubles point with victories on courts one and three, giving them an early lead in the match, according to team statistics.

All six singles matches went to a third set, with Mississippi State earning wins on courts three and four from Mario Martinez Serrano and Raphael Vaksmann. The match was decided on court six, where Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes faced Texas’s Lucas Marionneau in a tense final set. Ferrer Guimaraes led 5-4 in the third but ultimately lost 7-5, clinching the victory for the Longhorns.

With the result, Mississippi State’s record moves to 9-2 overall and 1-1 in SEC play. Texas improves to 11-3 and remains undefeated in conference matches. The series between the two teams is now tied at five wins each.

Martinez Serrano’s singles win marked his ninth of the year, the best on the team, and he extended his winning streak to three matches. Vaksmann earned his first career-ranked victory, defeating No. 67 Abel Forger in three sets. Mississippi State will host South Alabama on Wednesday at 2 p.m. for their next match.

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