Michigan State University
Auburn
Spartans Notch Pair of Ranked Wins in Narrow Loss at No. 24 Auburn
1/15/2023 4:08:00 PM | Men's Tennis
AUBURN, Ala. - Michigan State men's tennis fell to No. 24 Auburn, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Ala. Despite the loss, the Spartans recorded impressive victories at the top singles and doubles positions.
Auburn moves to 1-0 (0-0 SEC) on the season with the win, while the Spartans drop to 0-2 (0-0 B1G).
Freshman Ozan Baris and sophomore Max Sheldon notched their second-straight win at No. 1 doubles with a dominant 6-1 victory over Auburn's Finn Murgett and Raul Dobai. Murgett, a 2022 All-American in doubles, advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2022 with then-senior Tad Maclean. The win moved the pair to 2-0 this season, following a top-30 win at Middle Tennessee on Jan. 13. The Tigers earned the doubles point with wins at the remaining positions – Jan Galka and Billy Blaydes defeated Reed Crocker and David Saye at No. 2 (6-3) and Tyler Stice and Alejandro Moreno topped Graydon Lair and Kazuki Matsuno at No. 3 (6-0).
The Spartans tallied three wins in singles, each player recording their first singles win of the season. MSU claimed victories over both of Auburn's nationally-ranked players.
Baris, currently ranked at No. 26, picked up his first ranked singles win of the spring season with a 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 66 Tyler Stice at the No. 1 position. Sheldon, playing at the No. 2 position, knocked off No. 110 Will Nolan in a hard-fought three-set match. Trailing 3-6 after the first set, Sheldon tied up the match with a 6-1 second set to force a third. A 6-3 third set sealed the victory.
Playing at the No. 3 position for the second-straight match, fifth-year senior Anthony Pero defeated Auburn's Moreno in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Saye, Lair and Matsuno played the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 positions, respectively. Saye suffered a 5-7, 0-6 defeat to Murgett, while Lair fell 6-7(4), 1-6 to Dobai. Matsuno dropped a 3-6, 3-6 match to Galka.
Up next, the Spartans host their first home matches of the season on Saturday, Jan. 14 in a doubleheader with Brown (noon) and Bellarmine (4 p.m.). Both matches will take place at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.
RESULTS
Singles
- #26 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #66 Tyler Stice (AUB) 6-4, 6-1
- Max Sheldon (MSU) def. #110 Will Nolan (AUB) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
- Anthony Pero (MSU) def. Alejandro Moreno (AUB) 6-4, 6-3
- Finn Murgett (AUB) def. David Saye (MSU) 7-5, 6-0
- Raul Dobai (AUB) def. Graydon Lair (MSU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
- Jan Galka (AUB) def. Kazuki Matsuno (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
- Ozan Baris/Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Finn Murgett/Raul Dobai (AUB) 6-1
- Jan Galka/Billy Blaydes (AUB) def. Reed Crocker/David Saye (MSU) 6-3
- Tyler Stice/Alejandro Moreno (AUB) def. Graydon Lair/Kazuki Matsuno (MSU) 6-0
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,6,5,4,3,2
Players Mentioned
