NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 37th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores fell to the No. 52 Michigan State Spartans, 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at the Currey Tennis Center.
With the loss, Vanderbilt drops to 1-1 on the season, while the Spartans improved to 3-1 overall.
The match opened with doubles play and Michigan State taking the point to lead, 1-0, going into singles. Gonzales Austin and Suresh Eswaran won a tough match (No. 2 spot) versus Michigan State’s Gijs Linders and Harry Jadun to deny a MSU sweep in doubles. Austin and Eswaran were down, 6-5, before battling back to take the match, 8-7(4).
Playing in the No. 1 spot, Ryan Lipman and Marc van der Merwe fell to Drew Lied and Aaron Pfister, 8-5. Rhys Johnson and Anton Kovrigin fell to the Spartans’ Denis Bogatov and John Patrick Mullane, 8-3, in the No. 3 position.
The match of the day occurred in the No. 1 singles position with Austin and Pfister competing in a three-set match that would see Pfister come out on top, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5).
No. 17 Ryan Lipman recorded the Commodores only point on the day after his No. 2 position singles victory over Drew Lied, 6-2, 6-3.
Johnson lost in a heated battle against John Patrick Mullane at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 7-6(4). The two players grinded until the very end in the second set with Mullane coming out on top. In the No. 5 position, Yee fell to Bogativ in two sets, 7-6(2), 6-3.
Kovrigin and van der Merwe each fell in three-set matches to the Spartans.
The Commodores head back to Athens, Ga., for the second time already this season, as Vanderbilt will compete in the ITA National Kick-Off Weekend. The four-day event begins on Jan. 25 and ends Jan. 28.
Singles Results
1. Aaron Pfister (MSU) def. No. 20 Gonzales Austin (Vanderbilt) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)
2. No. 17 Ryan Lipman (Vanderbilt) def. Drew Lied (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Gijs Linders (MSU) def. Marc van der Merwe (Vanderbilt) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
4. John Patrick Mullane (MSU) def. Rhys Johnson (Vanderbilt) 6-3, 7-6(4)
5. Denis Bogatov (MSU) def. No. 114 Kris Yee (Vanderbilt) 7-6(2), 6-3
6. Will Davis (MSU) def. Anton Kovrigin (Vanderbilt) 6-3, 1-6, 10-3
Doubles Results
1. Lied/Pfister (MSU) def. Lipman/van der Merwe (Vanderbilt) 8-5
2. Austin/Eswaran (Vanderbilt) def. Linders/Jadun (MSU) 8-7(4)
3. Bogatov/Mullane (MSU) def. Johnson/Kovrigin (Vanderbilt) 8-3
