Saturday, May 3
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre | Starkville, Miss.
2 PM ET/1 PM CT
Michigan State University
0
at
4
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
No. 12 Mississippi State
Photo by: Emily Martin
Men’s Tennis Concludes Season In NCAA Second Round In Loss To No. 12 Mississippi State
5/3/2025 11:17:00 PM | Men's Tennis
No. 22 Spartans defeated by 12th-ranked Bulldogs after lengthy weather delay.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- No. 22 Michigan State men's tennis closed its season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday, falling 4-0 to No. 12 seed Mississippi State at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville.
The start time for the all MSU match was slated for 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT, but lightning and rain forced a nearly four-hour delay, and the Round of 32 match-up got underway at 5:45 p.m. ET / 4:45 p.m. CT.
With the loss, the Spartans end their 2024-25 campaign at 17-10, concluding their season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Overall, Michigan State was making its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament, first doing so in 2013.
MSU's 17-10 overall record gives the Green & White 40 wins over last two years, the most wins in back-to-back seasons since 2012-13, the Spartans' previous NCAA Tournament trip when current head coach Harry Jadun was a sophomore student-athlete.
Mississippi State moves to 23-5 and advances to next week's NCAA Super Regionals.
The Bulldogs took the doubles point after a back-and-forth battle on all three courts. A 6-4 win for top-ranked Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez at No. 1 doubles over junior Ozan Baris and freshman Matthew Forbes gave the Bulldogs an early advantage, but the Spartans continued to fight, with both freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev and redshirt-sophomore Aristotelis Thanos on court two and the brother duo of senior Max and freshman Mitchell Sheldon on court three battling to 6-6 contests to head to tiebreaks.
Max and Mitchell Sheldon evened up the doubles battle with a 7-6 (4) tiebreak win at No. 3 doubles, moving Max Sheldon's all-time combined wins total to 170, establishing a new program record.
Rakhmatullayev and Thanos suffered a narrow defeat in their tiebreak on court two, falling 7-6 (6) to the Bulldogs' 60th-ranked Nicolo Baroni and Benito Sanchez Martinez as Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs made it 3-0 with wins at No. 5 and No. 4 singles, with Dusan Milanovic defeating Forbes, 6-3, 6-2, and Bryan Hernandez Cortes picking up a 6-3, 6-4 win over Mitchell Sheldon.
The Spartans continued to battle, forcing third sets in all three remaining singles matches. After dropping his first set, 6-1, Max Sheldon evened his match at No. 3 singles with a 6-4 win in set two, but could not complete the comeback, falling 6-3 in the final set to Baroni, who clinched the 4-0 win for the Bulldogs.
With it being an all-MSU match-up between Michigan State and Mississippi State, the respective head coaches were very familiar with each other, as Bulldogs' head coach Matt Roberts was an assistant at Michigan State from 2009-12 under legendary Spartan head coach Gene Orlando during Coach Jadun's freshman season in East Lansing in 2012.
Fans can follow the Spartans on social media at @MSU_MTennis on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for behind-the-scenes content and updates throughout the offseason.
Tennis Match Results
Michigan State vs Mississippi State
5/3/2025 at Starkville, Miss.
(A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre)
#12 Mississippi State 4, #22 Michigan State 0
Singles competition
1. #28 B. Sanchez Martinez (STATE) vs. #40 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, unfinished
2. #67 Petar Jovanovic (STATE) vs. #15 Ozan Baris (MSU) 2-6, 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
3. #111 Niccolo Baroni (STATE) def. #109 Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
4. Dusan Milanovic (STATE) def. #107 Matthew Forbes (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. B. Hernandez Cortes (STATE) def. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. M. Martinez Serrano (STATE) vs. D. Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #1 Petar Jovanovic/B. Sanchez Martinez (STATE) def. Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU) 6-4
2. #60 Niccolo Baroni/M. Martinez Serrano (STATE) def. D. Rakhmatullayev/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 7-6 (8-6)
3. Max Sheldon/Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Dusan Milanovic/Michal Novansky (STATE) 7-6 (7-4)
Match Notes:
Michigan State 17-10; National ranking #22
Mississippi State 24-5; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,4,3)
Michigan State - No. 2 Seed
Mississippi State - No. 1 Seed
NCAA Tournament Second Round Matchup
Official: Wes Mayfield T-3:00
The start time for the all MSU match was slated for 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT, but lightning and rain forced a nearly four-hour delay, and the Round of 32 match-up got underway at 5:45 p.m. ET / 4:45 p.m. CT.
With the loss, the Spartans end their 2024-25 campaign at 17-10, concluding their season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Overall, Michigan State was making its third appearance in the NCAA Tournament, first doing so in 2013.
MSU's 17-10 overall record gives the Green & White 40 wins over last two years, the most wins in back-to-back seasons since 2012-13, the Spartans' previous NCAA Tournament trip when current head coach Harry Jadun was a sophomore student-athlete.
Spartans fought to the end!
— Michigan State Men's Tennis (@MSU_MTennis) May 4, 2025
Final score from Starkville in NCAA Tournament Round of 32:
No. 12 Mississippi State 4, No. 22 Michigan State 0
🎾Spartans conclude season in 2nd round of NCAA Tournament for 2nd year in a row.
🎾MSU's 17-10 overall record gives the Green & White… pic.twitter.com/jn8tVih6Vp
Mississippi State moves to 23-5 and advances to next week's NCAA Super Regionals.
The Bulldogs took the doubles point after a back-and-forth battle on all three courts. A 6-4 win for top-ranked Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez at No. 1 doubles over junior Ozan Baris and freshman Matthew Forbes gave the Bulldogs an early advantage, but the Spartans continued to fight, with both freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev and redshirt-sophomore Aristotelis Thanos on court two and the brother duo of senior Max and freshman Mitchell Sheldon on court three battling to 6-6 contests to head to tiebreaks.
Max and Mitchell Sheldon evened up the doubles battle with a 7-6 (4) tiebreak win at No. 3 doubles, moving Max Sheldon's all-time combined wins total to 170, establishing a new program record.
Rakhmatullayev and Thanos suffered a narrow defeat in their tiebreak on court two, falling 7-6 (6) to the Bulldogs' 60th-ranked Nicolo Baroni and Benito Sanchez Martinez as Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs made it 3-0 with wins at No. 5 and No. 4 singles, with Dusan Milanovic defeating Forbes, 6-3, 6-2, and Bryan Hernandez Cortes picking up a 6-3, 6-4 win over Mitchell Sheldon.
The Spartans continued to battle, forcing third sets in all three remaining singles matches. After dropping his first set, 6-1, Max Sheldon evened his match at No. 3 singles with a 6-4 win in set two, but could not complete the comeback, falling 6-3 in the final set to Baroni, who clinched the 4-0 win for the Bulldogs.
With it being an all-MSU match-up between Michigan State and Mississippi State, the respective head coaches were very familiar with each other, as Bulldogs' head coach Matt Roberts was an assistant at Michigan State from 2009-12 under legendary Spartan head coach Gene Orlando during Coach Jadun's freshman season in East Lansing in 2012.
Fans can follow the Spartans on social media at @MSU_MTennis on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for behind-the-scenes content and updates throughout the offseason.
Tennis Match Results
Michigan State vs Mississippi State
5/3/2025 at Starkville, Miss.
(A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre)
#12 Mississippi State 4, #22 Michigan State 0
Singles competition
1. #28 B. Sanchez Martinez (STATE) vs. #40 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, unfinished
2. #67 Petar Jovanovic (STATE) vs. #15 Ozan Baris (MSU) 2-6, 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
3. #111 Niccolo Baroni (STATE) def. #109 Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
4. Dusan Milanovic (STATE) def. #107 Matthew Forbes (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
5. B. Hernandez Cortes (STATE) def. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. M. Martinez Serrano (STATE) vs. D. Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-3, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #1 Petar Jovanovic/B. Sanchez Martinez (STATE) def. Ozan Baris/Matthew Forbes (MSU) 6-4
2. #60 Niccolo Baroni/M. Martinez Serrano (STATE) def. D. Rakhmatullayev/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 7-6 (8-6)
3. Max Sheldon/Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Dusan Milanovic/Michal Novansky (STATE) 7-6 (7-4)
Match Notes:
Michigan State 17-10; National ranking #22
Mississippi State 24-5; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,4,3)
Michigan State - No. 2 Seed
Mississippi State - No. 1 Seed
NCAA Tournament Second Round Matchup
Official: Wes Mayfield T-3:00
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
123
660
B. Sanchez Martinez / 0 (28/-) [STATE]
72UF
#2 Singles Match
1234
6440
Petar Jovanovic / 0 (67/-) [STATE]
265UF
#3 Singles Match
123
163
Niccolo Baroni / 0 (111/-) [STATE]
646
#4 Singles Match
12
32
Dusan Milanovic / 0 [STATE]
66
#5 Singles Match
12
34
B. Hernandez Cortes / 0 [STATE]
66
#6 Singles Match
1234
3610
M. Martinez Serrano / 0 [STATE]
634UF
Order of Finish:
5,4,3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
A Mental Journey | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, January 23
Harry Jadun | Men's Tennis Press Conference | Jan. 14 2025
Tuesday, January 14
Ozan's Historic Run | Spartans All-Access
Wednesday, November 27
Harry Jadun | Men's Tennis Press Conference | Nov. 18 2024
Monday, November 18