TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Michigan State men's tennis fell to Alabama, 7-0, in Tuscaloosa Saturday afternoon.
Alabama moves to 5-0 (0-0 SEC) with the win, while MSU drops to 2-3 (0-0 B1G).
The Spartan doubles team of fifth-year senior Anthony Pero and junior Reed Crocker moved to 3-0 this year, securing the win at No. 3 doubles with a convincing 6-2 win over Alabama's Zach Foster and Joao Foster. Despite losses at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, the Spartans put together a pair of hard-fought matches. At No. 1 doubles, freshman Ozan Baris and sophomore Max Sheldon fell in a close 7-6 match against Alabama's Enzo Aguiard and Filip Planinsek. At No. 2 doubles, juniors Graydon Lair and Luke Baylis fell to the Crimson Tide's German Samofalov and Yair Sarouk, 6-4.
After Alabama clinched the match, three MSU's matches went to super tiebreaker sets. Baris, after dropping his first set 6-4 against Planinsek at No. 1 singles, secured a 7-5 win in the second set to force a third. He fell in a back-and-forth super tiebreaker, 11-9.
Sheldon, playing at No. 2 singles, forced three sets against Alabama's Aguiard, who ranks 35th in the current ITA Singles Rankings. Sheldon took the first set, 6-3, before dropping the next, 7-5. He fell in the super tiebreaker, 10-5.
Freshman David Saye was the third Spartan to play a super tiebreaker on Saturday, falling 2-6, 6-4, 4-10 to Alabama's Yair Sarouk at No. 6 singles.
Pero, playing his third match at No. 3 singles this season, fell to Alabama's Roan Jones, who ranks at No. 96 in the ITA Singles Rankings. After dropping a close 7-6(6) first set, he fell 6-1 in the second set in his second ranked matchup of the season.
Lair was defeated in the No. 4 position, 6-2, 6-4, by Alabama's Matias De Leon. At No. 5 singles, Baylis fell 6-2, 7-5 to Alabama's German Samofalov.
Up next, the Spartans return home to host Ball State on Friday, Feb. 3 at the MSU Indoor Tennis Center. Matches will begin at noon.
Results
Singles
1. Filip Planinsek (UA) def. #26 Ozan Baris (MSU) 6-4, 5-7, 11-9
2. #35 Enzo Aguiard (UA) def. Max Sheldon (MSU) 3-6, 7-5, 10-5
3. #96 Roan Jones (UA) def. Anthony Pero (MSU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
4. Matias De Leon (UA) def. Graydon Lair (MSU) 6-2, 6-4
5. German Samofalov (UA) def. Luke Baylis (MSU) 6-2, 7-5
6. Yair Sarouk (UA) def. David Saye (MSU) 6-2, 4-6, 10-4
Order of Finish: 4,3,5,6,2,1
Doubles
1. Enzo Aguiard/Filip Planinsek (UA) def. Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSUM) 7-6 (7-1)
2. German Samofalov/Yair Sarouk (UA) def. Graydon Lair/Luke Baylis (MSUM) 6-4
3. Reed Crocker/Anthony Pero (MSUM) def. Joao Ferreira/Zach Foster (UA) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
