STARKVILLE, Miss. — Petar Jovanovic broke the Mississippi State men’s tennis record for career wins Friday, helping the Bulldogs defeat Tennessee 7-0. Jovanovic’s victory in singles sealed his 190th career win, surpassing Nuno Borges’s previous record of 189, according to school officials.
Mississippi State (12-2, 3-1 SEC) took control early by winning the doubles point with dominant performances on courts one and two. Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez teamed up for a 6-1 victory on court one, while Mario Martinez Serrano and Michal Novansky secured a 6-1 win on court two. The Bulldogs carried their momentum into singles, winning all six matches.
Jovanovic’s historic moment came on court two, where he defeated Alejandro Moreno 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). His win marked his 190th career victory, making him the second player under head coach Matt Roberts to break the program’s all-time wins record.
Other notable wins included Sanchez Martinez’s 6-1, 6-2 victory over Jose Garcia, and Martinez Serrano rallying from a first-set loss to beat Dragos Cazacu 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. The Bulldogs also earned wins from Niccolo Baroni, Raphael Vaksmann, and Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes, completing the shutout.
Mississippi State, ranked eighth nationally, will host No. 8 Georgia on March 9 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. The Bulldogs have faced a ranked opponent in every SEC match this season and have defeated three of four conference opponents.
