JACKSON — In an epic six-hour college tennis bout with 21st-ranked Ole Miss, the 14th-ranked Mississippi State men’s tennis squad regained the River Hills Cup with an exciting 4-2 victory Thursday night at River Hills Club in a top 25 war.
With the win, State improved to 6-2 overall while UM fell to 2-2. The win was State’s second straight over the Rebels and snapped a 12-year losing streak in this challenge series.
In a highly-contested doubles point, the Bulldogs and Rebels battled to the wire to open the affair.
The first match would be decided in the top spot as the UM duo of Marcell Thiemann and Jonas Lutjen downed 12th-ranked Louis Cant and Malte Stropp 8-4. However, the Bulldogs would quickly respond as George Coupland and Artem Ilyushin battled to an 8-6 triumph over Chris Thiemann and William Kallberg of Ole Miss at No. 2, leaving the doubles point decision to court 3.
In a back and forth dual in the No. 3 position, James Chaudry and Ethan Wilkinson of MSU battled with the Rebel duo of Nik Scholtz and Johan Backstrom. As the match progressed with both sides holding serve, Ole Miss finally broke giving them an 8-7 advantage. UM then held to take a 9-7 decision and the doubles point for Ole Miss.
Swinging to singles action, State’s 90th-ranked Stropp went on an absolute tear at the No. 3 spot, as he won 19 out of 20 game points during one stretch in the first set to propel him to a 6-1, 6-4 triumph over No. 98 Lutjen of the Rebels, tying the match at 1-1.
However, Ole Miss would regain the lead in top spot where MSU’s 79th-ranked Chaudry took on Ole Miss’ Scholtz. After falling in the first 6-3, Chaudry gained momentum to take the second set by the same score. Unfortunately, Chaudry’s efforts fell short as Scholtz bested his Bulldog foe 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, giving the Rebels a 2-1 advantage.
But, again, the Bulldogs would battle their way back as the 45th-ranked Cant took a quick 6-3, 6-2 decision on court 4 to even the match at 2-2.
In the second position for MSU was Ilyushin where he took on 27th-ranked Marcel Thiemann for Ole Miss. With Thiemann taking the early 6-3 first set, Ilyushin would fight back and take the 6-3 decision in the second.
Taking a 3-0 lead in the third, Ilyushin would drop serve but break back and take a 4-1 lead. However, Thiemann would again break but Ilyushin would not give in as he manufactured another break to gain a 5-2 advantage. Ilyushin then held serve boldly to post a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback win and give MSU its first lead of the night at 3-2.
The match clincher would come in the fifth spot as the 32nd-ranked Coupland took on Chris Thiemann of Ole Miss. After Coupland took a hard-fought first set 6-4, the second would end the same for Thiemann.
With the players tied 4-4, Thiemann broke for a 5-4 lead and held to take the second 6-4.
However, Coupland responded by breaking and holding to start the third and take a 2-0 advantage.
Thiemann would hold serve to 2-1 but that would be his only one of the set as Coupland would win four straight games to end the match, winning the last point after Thiemann fought off four match points in the final game. Coupland’s 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 win gave Mississippi State the 4-2 triumph over the rival Rebels.
Play was halted on court 6 at that point where Bulldog Antonio Lastre was in the third set against Johan Backstrom of Ole Miss.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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