Spartan Take Four Buckeyes to Third-Sets but Fall at No. 1 Ohio State Saturday
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 18 Michigan State Men's Tennis took four Buckeyes to third sets in singles, but fell 1-6 at the hands of top-ranked Ohio State on the road on Saturday.
"Obviously not the result we wanted here," head coach Harry Jadun said. "Playing on the road against the top team in the country you've got to really believe and you've got to accelerate when you've got a lead and today we had spots where we didn't press on them enough. A lot to build on and hope to see these guys again down the road but off the Penn State we go."
Sophomore Ozan Baris claimed the Spartans lone point on the day. The 14th-ranked player in the nation topped 28th-ranked Justin Boulais, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, winning on a 29-shot rally which he finalized with a lob of Boulais at the net.
Baris breaks the Buckeyes streak of 13 straight sweeps of the Spartans, claiming the first MSU point against OSU since 2013. He ties the team lead with 13 wins and as the top-ranked Big Ten player moves to 5-0 in conference play in 2024.
Things started slowly for the Spartans, dropping doubles decisions 6-3 on courts two and three and winning just two of six first sets to start singles play.
In the second sets, Ohio State completed straight-set wins on courts three and four to push it's lead to 3-0. Two Spartans won their first sets of the day to force third sets, however, the two who won their first sets dropped the second, sending a total of four matches to third sets.
With no matches to spare, the Spartans would have to claim each of the four deciding third sets to complete a comeback and defeat the Buckeyes for the first time since 1999. Ohio State persisted, however, powering through 6-3 and 6-1 third set wins at No. 5 and No. 6 to clinch and push things out of reach.
"We had spots where we were up, but they did what great teams do and bounced back and took those matches," Jadun said.
After Baris put MSU on the board, redshirt freshman Aristotelis Thanos, playing at No. 2 singles for the first time while both Baris and graduate student Ronald Hohmann III are in the lineup, was the last Spartan standing. He would drop the final set, 3-6, to the nation's 19th-ranked Cannon Kingsley to end his streak of 11 straight matches won.
Up Next
The Spartans travel to State College, Pa. to look to bounce back against bottom of the league Penn State Sunday, with first serve set for 1 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions have lost 14 straight and have been swept 10 times on the year, last against Michigan, 0-4 on Friday.
Results
No. 18 Michigan State 1, No. 1 Ohio State 6
Singles
1. #14 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #28 Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
2. #19 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) def. Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3
3. #16 JJ Tracy (OSU) def. #43 Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 6-3, 7-5
4. #25 Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. Sebastien Collard (MSU) 7-5, 6-4
5. #114 Robert Cash (OSU) def. Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1
6. Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. David Saye (MSU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
1. #20 Andrew Lutschaunig/Justin Boulais (OSU) vs. #6 Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) 5-4, unfinished
2. #80 Robert Cash/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. Sebastien Collard/Taym Alazmeh (MSU) 6-3
3. Cannon Kingsley/JJ Tracy (OSU) def. Graydon Lair/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 6-3
Michigan State 20-4 (6-1); National ranking #18
Ohio State 24-1 (6-0); National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,6,5,1,2)
Courtesy of MSU Athletics.
No. 18 Men's Tennis Wins Five in Straight Sets in 6-1 Victory at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – 18th-ranked Spartans Men's Tennis clinched it's program-best 21st win of the season with a 6-1 road victory over Penn State on Sunday, bouncing back to 7-1 in B1G play.
"Great match today on the road against a tough Penn State team," head coach Harry Jadun said. "The guys came out hot at one and two doubles and in singles, fast starts all around. Unfortunately, Ronnie's opponent played really well and it was a tough day for him but everyone else was in firm control of their matches from the jump to the finish and that's what we were hoping to do."
The win marks the first time since 1970 the Spartans have accumulated seven wins in a Big Ten season, the second most in program history since the Big Ten Champion 1967 squad went 9-0. It is also the Spartans' first win on the Nittany Lions home courts since April 22, 2012.
Match Recap
The Spartans took an early lead in doubles, as the No. 6-ranked duo of junior Max Sheldon and sophomore Ozan Baris won 6-2 on main court, as did the pairing of freshman Taym Alazmeh and graduate student Sebastien Collard on court two.
MSU took advantage of the momentum and dominated in five of the six singles matches. It was senior Luke Baylis who got off his court fastest, winning 6-0, 6-2 in the sixth spot, moving his season record to 4-1, 2-0 in conference play.
The ensuing matches finished with straight-set victories for MSU in quick succession. Collard won on court two, 6-1, 6-3, his 13th win of the season.
It was sophomore David Saye that would clinch the Spartans another tally in the win column, dropping just one set en route to a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles. Then followed Sheldon, 6-2, 6-1 on court four, his team-leading 14th win of the season. The Nittany Lions would get one back on main court, but Alazmeh settled the score at 6-1 with a 6-4, 6-3 straight-set victory.
Next Up
MSU wraps up the regular season with a match against in-state rivals Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday, April 20. Both teams sit at 7-1 in the Big Ten, tied for second in the league standings behind national No. 1 Ohio State, who topped both mitten state sides on the weekend.
"There won't be a lack of motivation this next week with our next match being Michigan on the road, so we've got to get back to East Lansing and prepare for that match," Jadun said.
Results
No. 18 Michigan State 6, Penn State 1
Singles
1. #102 Miko Eala (PSU) def. #43 Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Sebastien Collard (MSU) def. Stefan Simeunovic (PSU) 6-1, 6-3
3. David Saye (MSU) def. Ari Cotoulas (PSU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Nolan Ranger (PSU) 6-2, 6-1
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Jack Martuccio (PSU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Luke Baylis (MSU) def. Alexander Sterin (PSU) 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
1. #6 Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Nolan Ranger/Ari Cotoulas (PSU) 6-2
2. Sebastien Collard/Taym Alazmeh (MSU) def. Stefan Simeunovic/Jack Martuccio (PSU) 6-2
3. Miko Eala/Alexander Sterin (PSU) vs. Aristotelis Thanos/Ronald Hohmann (MSU) 3-4, uf
Match Notes:
Michigan State 21-4; National ranking #18
Penn State 4-18
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,2,3,4,1,5)
Courtesy of MSU Athletics.
