CRIMSON TIDE ROUNDUP: UA men, women beat Bulldogs

STARKVILLE, Miss. | The 21st-ranked University of Alabama men’s tennis team defeated No. 49 Mississippi State 4-0 Friday.

The Tide improves to 11-3 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Mississippi State falls to 4-5 ovrall and 0-3 in the conference.

Because of weather conditions, the match was played in reverse order with singles competition first.

“I’m extremely proud of our team today,” Alabama coach Billy Pate said. “They showed us a lot in terms of battling through miserable conditions. We asked them to embrace the adverse weather and just be the team with the most fight and mental resolve.”

The Crimson Tide controlled the match at all six singles positions and ended the match after an hour and a half with victories at positions two, three, four and five.

Alabama’s Sammy Struyf was the first Tide player to get a win, defeating Chris Doerr 6-2, 6-2. Mat Thibaudeau earned the second point for the Tide from the No. 2 spot, defeating 32nd-ranked Philippe Frayssinoux 6-3, 6-4.

Javier Bes picked up the third win for the Tide at No. 5 by beating Antonio Lastre 6-3, 6-3. Daniel Buikema clinched the match for Alabama from the No. 4 position, outlasting Ryan Farlow in the second set tiebreaker 8-6 to win 6-4, 7-6.

“We were also very fortunate to get the match in before the rain,” said Pate. “We now have to shift our focus to Ole Miss, which is a team that is competitive for the national title.”

The Tide takes on the fifth-ranked Rebels in Oxford, Miss., at 1 p.m. Sunday.

No. 21 Alabama 4, No. 49 MSU 0

Singles

1. #95 Saketh Myneni (UA) vs. #26 Ivan Bjelica 6-2, 4-6, susp.

2. Mat Thibaudeau (UA) d. #32 Philippe Frayssinoux (MSU) 6-3, 6-4

3. Sammy Struyf (UA) d. Chris Doerr (MSU) 6-2, 6-2

4. Daniel Buikema (UA) d. Ryan Farlow (MSU) 6-4, 7-6(6)

5. Javier Bes (UA) d. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 6-3, 6-3

6. Michael Jung (UA) vs. Tanner Stump 6-4, 2-5, susp.

Doubles

1. #45 Thibaudeau/Buikema (UA) vs. Bjelica/Frayssinoux (MSU)

2. Myneni/Jung (UA) vs. Farlow/Pjotrs Necajevs (MSU)

3. Struyf/Bes (UA) vs. Doerr/Stump (MSU)

Women’s tennis inches past Mississippi State, 4-3

TUSCALOOSA | The Alabama women’s tennis team battled Mississippi State for more than five hours Friday before overcoming the Bulldogs in a 4-3 victory. Alabama improves to 4-7 overall and 1-2 in conference play, while Mississippi State falls to 5-4 overall and 0-3 in the SEC.

Alabama clinched the doubles point for the fourth time this season. The Tide earned wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions to get the point.

Freshmen Meritt Emery and Tiffany Welcher picked up the first win for the Tide. They scored eight unanswered points in the tiebreaker to defeated Daniela Juskova and Valeriya Makarycheva 9-8(1) at No. 3.

The No. 1 team of Andrea Brenes and Paulina Bigos came from behind to defeat Martna Banikova and Elna de Villiers 9-8(6) to clinch the point.

Rain forced a move to the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility.

Alabama’s Welcher dominated Banikova from No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-0, to move the Tide ahead 2-0. The Bulldogs responded with wins at No. 2 and No. 4 to tie the score.

Paulina Bigos battled Mississippi State’s Ferancova for more than 21⁄2 hours but came up short in the tiebreaker and fell in three sets.

Alabama’s Bianca Svensson defeated DeAndra Saddler 6-3, 6-2 to knot the score at 3-3.

Junior Shelley Godwin clinched the match for the Tide with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Makarycheva from the No. 6 position.

The Tide returns to action Sunday, hosting Ole Miss at 1 p.m.

Alabama 4, MSU 3

Singles

1. Tiffany Welcher (UA) d. Martina Banikova (MSU) 6-3, 6-0

2. Renee Joseph (MSU) d. Alice Tunaru (UA) 6-4, 5-7, 4-6

3. Radka Ferancova (MSU) d. Paulina Bigos (UA) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(8-6)

4. Elna de Villiers (MSU) d. Meritt Emery (UA) 6-1, 7-5

5. Bianca Svensson (UA) d. DeAndra Saddler (MSU) 6-3, 6-2

6. Shelley Godwin (UA) d. Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles

1. Andrea Brenes/Paulina Bigos (UA) d. Martina Banikova/Elna de Villier (MSU) 9-8 (6)

2. Renee Joseph/Radka Ferancova (MSU) d. Bianca Svensson/Alice Tunaru (UA) 8-1

3. Tiffany Welcher/Meritt Emery (UA) d. Daniela Juskova/Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 9-8 (1)