#2 Tennessee Downs #24 Mississippi State on the Road, 5-2

Friday, March 4

Starkville, MS

4 PM

University of Tennessee

Mississippi State

ORLANDO, FL - 2021.05.21 - Tennessee vs. Baylor

#2 Tennessee Downs #24 Mississippi State on the Road, 5-2

March 04, 2022 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

STARKVILLE, Miss. – The clinching fourth point from junior Angel Diaz sealed the deal as the second-ranked Tennessee men's tennis team defeated No. 24 Mississippi State for a third consecutive time Friday evening, earning a 5-2 road victory.

The win gives the Vols (13-2, 1-0 SEC) six triumphs over ranked opponents this season, while Mississippi State (9-4, 0-1 SEC) suffers its fourth loss of the season and third home defeat of the year.

"Every win is important, but winning on the road in the SEC is vital," Tennessee head coach Chris Woodruff said. "We came out really sharp, vibrant and aware in doubles. After that, as is the case most of the time, singles becomes tougher and we were able to pull through."

Doubles began with the 57^th-ranked pairing of Pat Harper and Adam Walton promptly defeating #55 Nemanja Malesevic and Davide Tortora, 6-1 on court two. The doubles clinch came on court three, as Johannus Monday and Mark Wallner handily took down Mississippi State's Alberto Colas and Carles Hernandez, 6-1. Monday and Wallner improve to 7-0 as a pair in dual matches this season. Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui went unfinished on court one.

Singles got underway and for the 10^th time in his 12 singles wins this dual season, #6 Monday was the first to finish, wasting no time in his 6-2, 6-3, win over #74 Malesevic on court two.

Leading 2-0, #51 Emile Hudd claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Hernandez on court three to extend Tennessee's lead to 3-0. Soon to follow was Diaz's win on court four, as he toppled Bautista Vilicich, 6-2, 6-4 to clinch match point for the Big Orange. The clinch marks the third for Diaz this season. He also earned Tennessee's clinching point in wins over then-fifth-ranked TCU on the road and Columbia.

The match would be played out, as Mitsui earned the next Tennessee singles win in a tight 7-6(3), 7-5 decision over Alberto Colas on court six. After jumping out to a 3-1 lead, up a break in the opening set, Mitsui held on to capture the first-set tiebreak victory and subsequently earned the Vols their fifth point of the match.

Mississippi State's two points came as #39 Florian Broska overcame #32 Adam Walton, 6-4, 7-6(4) on court one and Gregor Ramskogler outlasted Martim Prata 7-6(9), 4-6, 1-0 (10-1).

JO TO THE MO
Of Monday's 12 dual match singles wins this season, five have come against ranked opponents. His win Friday over #74 Malesevic marks his 20^th overall singles win this season.

UP NEXT
The Vols travel north in The Magnolia State for a matchup with No. 14 Ole Miss Sunday. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

RESULTS
Doubles

1. Florian Broska/Gregor Ramskogler (MS) vs. #9 Emile Hudd/Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) 2-5, unfinished
2. #57 Pat Harper/Adam Walton (UT) def. #55 Nemanja Malesevic/Davide Tortora (MS) 6-1
3. Johannus Monday/Mark Wallner (UT) def. Alberto Colas/Carles Hernandez (MS) 6-1

Order of Finish: (2,3)

Singles

1. #39 Florian Broska (MS) def. #32 Adam Walton (UT) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
2. #6 Johannus Monday (UT) def. #74 Nemanja Malesevic (MS) 6-2, 6-3
3. #51 Emile Hudd (UT) def. Carles Hernandez (MS) 6-3, 6-3
4. Angel Diaz (UT) def. Bautista Vilicich (MS) 6-2, 6-4
5. Gregor Ramskogler (MS) def. Martim Prata (UT) 7-6 (11-9), 4-6, 1-0 (10-1)
6. Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. Alberto Colas (MS) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5

Order of Finish: (2,3,4,1,6,5)