Michigan State University
No. 68 Wisconsin
Spartan Men’s Tennis Takes on Nebraska and Wisconsin in Big Ten Road Showdown
3/13/2025 10:04:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Michigan State looks to build on momentum from upset win over No. 10 Arizona, as they face tough Big Ten opponents on the road.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's tennis hits the road for more Big Ten Conference road action, as they take on B1G conference opponents Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Spartans Last Outing
Before heading back on the road, Michigan State men's tennis delivered a thrilling 4-3 victory over No. 10 Arizona on Wednesday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. After dropping the doubles point and falling behind 0-1, the Spartans battled back to secure the upset win.
The victory marked MSU's third consecutive home win, snapping a five-match road losing streak and improving its record to 7-5 on the season. Meanwhile, Arizona fell to 14-2, seeing its nine-match winning streak come to an end in just its third road contest of the dual-match season.
The Spartans maintained consistency in their doubles lineup, sticking with the same pairings from the weekend. Junior Ozan Baris and redshirt sophomore Aristotelis Thanos took the No. 1 doubles spot, while the Sheldon brothers—senior Max and freshman Mitchell—competed at No. 2. Sophomore Taym Alazmeh and freshman Vuk Radjenovic completed the lineup at No. 3, solidifying the Spartans' doubles rotation.
The Spartans' first win of the day came from the Sheldon brothers, who battled back from an early 0-2 deficit to defeat Arizona's Cabrera and Christensen, 6-4.
Meanwhile, on the neighboring court, Taym Alazmeh and Vuk Radjenovic took on Gustafsson and Sekachov (UA) but fell short in a hard-fought 2-6 match.
With the doubles point on the line, Ozan Baris and Aristotelis Thanos faced off against Arizona's Friend and Padgham in a tightly contested showdown. The duo fought until the very end but ultimately fell in a tiebreak, 6-7 (0-7), giving the Wildcats the doubles point.
With Arizona securing the early lead, the Spartans were left needing a strong singles performance to pull off the upset.
Senior Max Sheldon quickly evened the score for the Spartans, dominating his match against Arizona's Filip Gustafsson with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Arizona responded with a point of its own in a highly anticipated rematch between Ozan Baris and Jay Friend. The two had previously met in the NCAA Individual Championships, where Baris emerged victorious in the semifinals. This time, however, Friend got his revenge, defeating Baris 6-2, 6-2.
Freshman Matthew Forbes added another tally to the Spartans' score, securing a solid 6-3, 6-3 win over Arizona's Alexander Rozin and picking up another victory in his spring season.
The match-clinching moment came courtesy of freshman Vuk Radjenovic. After taking the first set 6-3, Arizona's Christensen responded with a dominant 6-0 second set. In a back-and-forth battle, Radjenovic dug deep and pulled ahead in the final set, sealing the victory for Michigan State.
With the team result decided, the final match between Mitchell Sheldon and Kask played out for the fans. The two put on an exciting display, but Mi. Sheldon ultimately fell in a hard-fought battle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (8-10).
Scouting Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Badgers men's tennis team has shown significant promise in the early stages of their 2025 spring season, currently holding a 4-1 record.
This marks a notable improvement from their previous season, where they finished at the bottom of the Big Ten with a 1-22 overall record and 0-9 in conference play.
Scouting Nebraska
The Nebraska men's tennis team holds an 8-4 overall record and a 1-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The team has demonstrated strong performances, notably securing consecutive victories against Ole Miss, Tulsa, and Creighton.
The Huskers aim to surpass their 2023-24 season, during which they achieved a 17-10 record, reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, and concluded with the highest dual wins since 1990.
Up Next:
The Green and White continue their busy March full of road trips with matchups at Indiana on March 22 and Purdue on March 23.
Players Mentioned
