Sunday, March 10
East Lansing, Mich.
5 PM
Michigan State University
3
vs
4
Drake
Spartans Drop Hard-Fought Match to Drake, 4-3
3/10/2019 9:50:00 PM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. –The Michigan State men's tennis team lost a hard-fought match to Drake, 4-3, Sunday evening at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. The Spartans claimed three singles matches in the one-point loss to the Bulldogs.
"The guys had a great week of practice and worked hard," said MSU head coach Gene Orlando. "We're obviously disappointed we weren't able to get the win, but we're continuing to improve each week. We might not be getting the results that we want, but from a coach's standpoint, I can see the improvement, and it's just a matter of time before we knock the door down."
At No. 1 singles, No. 91 Jack Winkler kept up his hot streak, topping No. 57 Vinny Gillespie in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Winkler, who beat No. 15 Alex Lebedev of Notre Dame in MSU's last match, improved to 16-8 on the season and 8-5 in duals.
"Kudos to Jack and all of the hard work he's put in," said Orlando. "It started last summer, and in the fall he put it together. You just don't start picking off nationally ranked wins back-to-back without doing the work. I'm glad it's coming together for him. With all the work he's been able to put in, he's been able to step up. And this is what this season is all about, players making that jump and making a move. We're a young team, and we need players to step up. I do feel like we have some players that are real close to joining him."
Winkler's win cut MSU's deficit to 3-2. The Bulldogs (13-7) claimed the doubles point and won the first singles decision at No. 4 to take a 2-0 lead, but Carson Gates put MSU on the board with a 6-3, 6-1 win in the sixth slot over Finley Hall.
No. 78 Tom Hands of Drake topped John Carlin at No. 2 singles to make it 3-1 in favor of the Bulldogs before Winkler defeated his second consecutive ranked opponent in the top spot.
The match was ultimately decided at No. 5 singles, as Calum MacGeoch edged Nick Williams, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) to seal the victory for Drake.
Ivan Rakic closed out the dual with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 10-7 win at No. 3 singles over Bayo Phillips.
The Spartans (5-10) return to action for a doubleheader at home on Saturday, March 16. MSU will host Penn State at 4 p.m. and Wright State at 8 p.m.
"The guys had a great week of practice and worked hard," said MSU head coach Gene Orlando. "We're obviously disappointed we weren't able to get the win, but we're continuing to improve each week. We might not be getting the results that we want, but from a coach's standpoint, I can see the improvement, and it's just a matter of time before we knock the door down."
At No. 1 singles, No. 91 Jack Winkler kept up his hot streak, topping No. 57 Vinny Gillespie in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Winkler, who beat No. 15 Alex Lebedev of Notre Dame in MSU's last match, improved to 16-8 on the season and 8-5 in duals.
"Kudos to Jack and all of the hard work he's put in," said Orlando. "It started last summer, and in the fall he put it together. You just don't start picking off nationally ranked wins back-to-back without doing the work. I'm glad it's coming together for him. With all the work he's been able to put in, he's been able to step up. And this is what this season is all about, players making that jump and making a move. We're a young team, and we need players to step up. I do feel like we have some players that are real close to joining him."
Winkler's win cut MSU's deficit to 3-2. The Bulldogs (13-7) claimed the doubles point and won the first singles decision at No. 4 to take a 2-0 lead, but Carson Gates put MSU on the board with a 6-3, 6-1 win in the sixth slot over Finley Hall.
No. 78 Tom Hands of Drake topped John Carlin at No. 2 singles to make it 3-1 in favor of the Bulldogs before Winkler defeated his second consecutive ranked opponent in the top spot.
The match was ultimately decided at No. 5 singles, as Calum MacGeoch edged Nick Williams, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) to seal the victory for Drake.
Ivan Rakic closed out the dual with a 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 10-7 win at No. 3 singles over Bayo Phillips.
The Spartans (5-10) return to action for a doubleheader at home on Saturday, March 16. MSU will host Penn State at 4 p.m. and Wright State at 8 p.m.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
Vinny Gillespie / 0 (57/-) [DU]
611
466
#2 Singles Match
12
Tom Hands / 0 (78/-) [DU]
66
31
#3 Singles Match
123
Bayo Philips / 0 [DU]
677
7610
#4 Singles Match
12
Finley Hall / 0 [DU]
66
21
#5 Singles Match
12
Ben Clark / 0 [DU]
77
56
#6 Singles Match
12
Freddie Powell / 0 [DU]
31
66
Order of Finish:
4,6,2,1,5,3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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