Michigan State University Athletics
Friday, March 20
Evanston, Ill.
7 PM ET / 6 PM CT
Michigan State University
4
at
1
Northwestern
No. 35 Spartan Men’s Tennis Picks Up Another Road Win At Northwestern Friday
3/20/2026 10:42:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Michigan State moves to 5-0 in conference play with 4-1 victory.
EVANSTON, Ill. – Michigan State men's tennis defeated the No. 55-ranked Northwestern Wildcats 4-1 on Friday at NU's Combe Tennis Center.
The 35th-ranked Spartans claimed the doubles point to take the early lead over the Wildcats. At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Matthew Forbes and senior Ozan Baris took a 6-2 victory over Northwestern's Cyrus Mahjoob and Ethan Schiffman. Shortly after, Spartan sophomore Mitchell Sheldon and junior Aristotelis Thanos defeated Cooper Han and Owen Megargee 6-4 to clinch the doubles point. MSU's No. 18 nationally ranked duo of junior Taym Alazmeh and sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev went to battle against 25th-ranked Carter Pate and Greyson Casey, but fell, 6-2.
In singles action, the Spartans used their momentum from doubles to rattle off three more victories over the Wildcats. The first singles victory came from sophomore Sheldon, who defeated Cooper Han 6-4, 6-3. Following Sheldon's lead, senior David Saye earned a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chad Miller. No. 36-ranked Baris earned yet another straight-set 7-5, 6-0 victory over Cyrus Mahjoob.
Rakhmatullayev took the court opposite Ethan Schiffman, putting up a good fight but ultimately falling, 5-7, 1-6. No. 11-ranked Forbes was in the lead, 5-7, 5-4, but the match went unfinished. Alazmeh lost his first set 4-6, and was tied 5-5 in the second before his match also went unfinished.
The Spartans will continue their Illinois road trip, heading to Champaign-Urbana to take on the Fighting Illini on Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
No. 35 Michigan State vs. No. 55 Northwestern
March 20, 2026
Evanston, Ill.
(Combe Tennis Center)
MSU 4 , NU 1
Doubles:
1. No. 25 Carter Pate/Greyson Casey (NU) def. No. 18 Taym Alazmeh/Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-2
2. Matthew Forbes/Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Cyrus Mahjoob/Ethan Schiffman (NU) 6-2
3. Mitchell Sheldon/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Cooper Han/Owen Megargee (NU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles:
1. No. 11 Matthew Forbes (MSU) vs Carter Pate (NU) 5-7, 5-4, unfinished
2. No. 36 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Cyrus Mahjoob (NW) 7-5, 6-0
3. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) vs Greyson Casey (NW) 4-6, 5-5, unfinished
4. Ethan Schiffman (NW) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 7-5, 6-1
5. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Cooper Han (NW) 6-4, 6-3
6. David Saye (MSU) def. Chad Miller (NW) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 4, 2
Match Notes:
Michigan State 8-7 (5-0 B1G); National ranking #35
Northwestern 13-7 (1-4 B1G); National ranking #55
The 35th-ranked Spartans claimed the doubles point to take the early lead over the Wildcats. At No. 2 doubles, sophomore Matthew Forbes and senior Ozan Baris took a 6-2 victory over Northwestern's Cyrus Mahjoob and Ethan Schiffman. Shortly after, Spartan sophomore Mitchell Sheldon and junior Aristotelis Thanos defeated Cooper Han and Owen Megargee 6-4 to clinch the doubles point. MSU's No. 18 nationally ranked duo of junior Taym Alazmeh and sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev went to battle against 25th-ranked Carter Pate and Greyson Casey, but fell, 6-2.
In singles action, the Spartans used their momentum from doubles to rattle off three more victories over the Wildcats. The first singles victory came from sophomore Sheldon, who defeated Cooper Han 6-4, 6-3. Following Sheldon's lead, senior David Saye earned a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chad Miller. No. 36-ranked Baris earned yet another straight-set 7-5, 6-0 victory over Cyrus Mahjoob.
Rakhmatullayev took the court opposite Ethan Schiffman, putting up a good fight but ultimately falling, 5-7, 1-6. No. 11-ranked Forbes was in the lead, 5-7, 5-4, but the match went unfinished. Alazmeh lost his first set 4-6, and was tied 5-5 in the second before his match also went unfinished.
The Spartans will continue their Illinois road trip, heading to Champaign-Urbana to take on the Fighting Illini on Sunday, March 22, at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
No. 35 Michigan State vs. No. 55 Northwestern
March 20, 2026
Evanston, Ill.
(Combe Tennis Center)
MSU 4 , NU 1
Doubles:
1. No. 25 Carter Pate/Greyson Casey (NU) def. No. 18 Taym Alazmeh/Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-2
2. Matthew Forbes/Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Cyrus Mahjoob/Ethan Schiffman (NU) 6-2
3. Mitchell Sheldon/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Cooper Han/Owen Megargee (NU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles:
1. No. 11 Matthew Forbes (MSU) vs Carter Pate (NU) 5-7, 5-4, unfinished
2. No. 36 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. Cyrus Mahjoob (NW) 7-5, 6-0
3. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) vs Greyson Casey (NW) 4-6, 5-5, unfinished
4. Ethan Schiffman (NW) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 7-5, 6-1
5. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Cooper Han (NW) 6-4, 6-3
6. David Saye (MSU) def. Chad Miller (NW) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 4, 2
Match Notes:
Michigan State 8-7 (5-0 B1G); National ranking #35
Northwestern 13-7 (1-4 B1G); National ranking #55
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
123
740
Carter Pate / 0 [NU_MTEN]
55UF
#2 Singles Match
12
76
Cyrus Mahjoob / 0 [NU_MTEN]
50
#3 Singles Match
123
650
Greyson Casey / 0 [NU_MTEN]
45UF
#4 Singles Match
12
51
Ethan Schiffman / 0 [NU_MTEN]
76
#5 Singles Match
12
66
Cooper Han / 0 [NU_MTEN]
43
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Chad Miller / 0 [NU_MTEN]
32
Order of Finish:
5,6,4,2
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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