Ole Miss Men’s Tennis Looks to Top No. 6 Mississippi State Before Facing Alabama

The University of Mississippi men’s tennis team is set for a pivotal weekend, starting with a match against in-state rival No. 6 Mississippi State on Friday at 5 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi. The Rebels (15-5, 3-5 SEC) will face a Bulldogs team that boasts a 16-3 record and is riding high after a 6-1 victory over No. 7 LSU.

Mississippi State features a highly ranked lineup, including No. 6 Peter Jovanovic and No. 35 Benito Sanchez Martinez in singles. Their doubles team, composed of No. 4 Sanchez Martinez and Jovanovic, is also ranked highly. Jovanovic leads the Bulldogs with over 190 career wins, a program record, and previously served as an associate head coach at Mississippi State before joining Ole Miss this summer.

Following the match in Starkville, Ole Miss will travel to Tuscaloosa for a Sunday game against No. 49 Alabama at 1 p.m. The Crimson Tide has a 9-11 record and has defeated top-ranked teams like No. 11 Georgia earlier this season. Alabama is led by singles players No. 79 Vit Kalina, No. 94 Matic Kriznik, and No. 109 Andrii Zimnokh, along with a ranked doubles team featuring Zimnokh and Kalina.

The Rebels will rely on their own ranked players, including Stefano D’Agostino, who is ranked No. 77 in singles, and doubles partner Pietro Pampanin, ranked No. 85 in doubles. Head coach Jake Jacoby, making a return to his former coaching home at Mississippi State, emphasized the importance of these matchups as part of the team’s SEC schedule.

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