LEXINGTON, Ky. – Vanderbilt’s men’s tennis team had its hopes of making a run at the SEC Tournament dashed on Thursday when the seventh-seeded Commodores were upset by 10th-seeded Mississippi State, 4-0, in the first round of the 2010 SEC Tournament.
It was the second loss in Lexington in six days for the 32nd-ranked Commodores, who also lost at No. 12 Kentucky to close the regular season last Saturday. With the loss, Vanderbilt fell to 13-10 overall, while 52nd-ranked Mississippi State improved to 10-11 overall. Mississippi State will face second-seeded Florida in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Vanderbilt was put in an early hole when it was edged in doubles play by Mississippi State. The Bulldogs won the first completed doubles match in the No. 1 slot before Vanderbilt’s duo of Ryan Lipman and Bryant Salcedo evened the score when they knocked off MSU’s duo of Sanchez and Stump, 8-5, in the No. 2 slot.
In the decisive doubles match, MSU’s team of Doerr and Cant clinched the doubles point by the slightest of margins, defeating Vijay Paul and Alex DiValerio, 9-8, in the No. 3 slot. While the doubles point set the Commodores back just one point, it has been especially key to the team’s success this season. With the loss, Vanderbilt fell to 0-10 this season when losing the doubles point.
In singles play, the Bulldogs took a commanding lead in the match by winning the first set in all six matches. Vanderbilt began to get on track in the second set, but it was too late as the Bulldogs took the first three completed singles matches to eliminate the Commodores, 4-0.
Vanderbilt will now turn its attention to Tuesday, May 4 when the brackets for the 2010 NCAA Tournament are revealed. Selections for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships will take place on May 5.
Vanderbilt entered the match having won three straight against the Bulldogs. Its last loss to Mississippi State was reminiscent of Thursday’s. In 2007, eighth-seeded Vanderbilt lost to ninth-seeded Mississippi State, 4-0, in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt is now 0-2 all-time as the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament.
