Michigan State University
No. 55 Elon
Michigan State Crushes the Phoenix
1/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. - The Spartans took out their frustrations on Elon, pounding the Phoenix 4-0 in the ITA Kickoff consolation round on the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Courts.
"This was a big match for us," head coach Gene Orlando said. "We played four nationally-ranked teams in the first two weeks; it's been a tough start to the schedule."
Michigan State started off strong, taking the doubles point with wins in No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Michael Dube and Mac Roy, playing the No. 2 doubles slot, won their 10th match of the year, 6-4 over the pair of Chris Humphreys and Jordan Kaufman.
The Spartans also won in No. 3 doubles, as Harry Jadun replaced his usual partner John Patrick Mullane with Jasper Koenen. Jadun and Koenen lost in their doubles match against Georgia, but rebounded against the Phoenix. The duo defeated Elon's team of Robert Lindgren and Juan Madrid, 6-4. No. 1 doubles remained unfinished.
"Bouncing back today (after yesterday's loss to No. 8 Georgia) was huge," Jadun said. "Everyone on the team was hungry for this win, you could see it even during warm ups."
Michigan State finished as the top doubles team in the tournament. The Spartans won the doubles point over the Bulldogs, and defeated Elon, who won their doubles point over No. 60 Utah.
"We talked about coming out strong and throwing the first punch," Jadun said. "You could see we did that against Elon."
In singles, Michigan State just picked up where it left off in doubles. The Spartans just rolled through the Phoenix lineup, winning three singles matches and barely giving the No. 5 singles time to warm up.
"We won as a team; everyone contributed," Koenen said. "Even the people who were not playing had a huge impact on the match through their cheering. It was awesome."
Jadun continued his strong play this season with a win in No. 3 singles over Elon's Brian Kowalski, 6-0, 6-2. Roy added a point in No. 4 singles, defeating Jordan Kaufman, 6-3, 6-3. Brett Forman provided the exclamation point, with a 6-4, 6-1 match-clinching victory over Lindgren.
"This win keeps us on the path to reach our bigger goals," Orlando said. "The guys are reaching our goals, and this gives us an edge to keep improving with confidence.
"We have a lot more opportunities ahead of us, but getting that first ranked win allows us a little more room to focus on our game and move forward confidently."
After two straight road trips, Michigan State finally can look forward to the comforts of home. The Spartans will host Toledo and Detroit Saturday, Jan. 31 in their next matches.
Extra Notes
Michigan State did not lose a single set to Elon.
The Spartans are 32-17 on the year overall in doubles play.
Singles Competition
1. Stefan Fortmann (ELON) vs. No. 76 Gijs Linders (MSU) 6-7 (6-8), unfinished
2. Brett Forman (MSU) def. Robert Lindgren (ELON) 6-4, 6-1
3. Harry Jadun (MSU) def. Brian Kowalski (ELON) 6-0, 6-2
4. Mac Roy (MSU) def. Jordan Kaufman (ELON) 6-3, 6-3
5. Neal Port (ELON) vs. Michael Dube (MSU) 1-0, unfinished
6. Jasper Koenen (MSU) vs. Chris Humphreys (ELON) no result
Doubles Competition
1. Stefan Fortmann/Brian Kowalski (ELON) vs. Brett Forman/Gijs Linders (MSU) 5-5, unfinished
2. Michael Dube/Mac Roy (MSU) def. Chris Humphreys/Jordan Kaufman (ELON) 6-4
3. Harry Jadun/Jasper Koenen (MSU) def. Robert Lindgren/Juan Madrid (ELON) 6-4
Players Mentioned
