Fayetteville, Ark. — Mississippi State’s men’s tennis team defeated Arkansas 5-2 Thursday evening in a Southeastern Conference match. The Bulldogs, ranked sixth nationally, moved to 19-3 overall and 10-2 in league play, marking their fourth 5-2 win of the season and their fourth consecutive victory, according to school officials.
Mississippi State secured the doubles point early in the match. The duo of Benito Sanchez Martinez and Michal Novansky, competing together at No. 1 for the first time, won 6-1. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes followed with a 7-6 (2) victory on court three to clinch the point.
In singles, the Bulldogs’ depth proved decisive. Wins from Sanchez Martinez and Hernandez Cortes gave Mississippi State control. Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes sealed the match with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory on court six. This marked the first time in his career that Ferrer Guimaraes clinched back-to-back matches, school officials said.
Sanchez Martinez extended his singles winning streak to five matches and improved to eight wins in his last 10 ranked matchups. Hernandez Cortes also continued his strong play with a four-match winning streak. Niccolo Baroni added an insurance point before Arkansas scored two late points.
The victory marked a milestone for the program, as Mississippi State achieved double-digit SEC wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2018 and 2019. Head coach Matt Roberts also improved to 12-1 against his alma mater, Arkansas, officials said.
