Box Score (Mississippi State) | Box Score (Lamar) | Post Match Press Conference
 
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU Men's Tennis splits its season opener doubleheader with a tight 5-2 loss to No. 7 Mississippi State before winning 6-1 against Lamar at Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex on Saturday.
 
The Mustangs fell 2-1 in doubles play to drop the first point of the day and came back to win two singles matches while forcing three-set contests in the remaining four singles matches in their 5-2 loss to No. 7 Mississippi State. It was the Mustangs' first ranked season opener match since 2016.
 
SMU closed its season opener day with a 6-1 win over Lamar where the Mustangs saw three straight set wins.
 
How it Went vs No. 7 Mississippi State
In a tight doubles match that saw through three matches, Mississippi State's No. 2-ranked doubles pair of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez took the first lead by defeating Trevor Svajda and Alex Finkelstein (6-4) on court one.
 
Georgi Georgiev and Krish Arora earned their first doubles win as a pair (6-3) on court two but Michal Novansky and Bryan Hernandez Cortes grabbed the doubles point for Mississippi State by winning court three over Jerry Barton and Vikas Deo (6-4).
 
The Mustangs fought back in singles play as No. 2 Svajda won his singles match on court one in straight sets over No. 54 Benito Sanchez Martinez (6-2, 6-3) to make it 1-1.
 
All the remaining singles matches went to three sets and it was Barton who also earned his first win of the spring season by defeating No. 34 Bryan Hernandez on court five (3-6, 6-4, 6-2).
 
Mississippi State won all remaining matches to win 5-2 over the Mustangs.
 
How it Went vs Lamar
In dominant fashion, the Mustangs won all three doubles matches. Barton and Deo won their match on court two (6-1), Svajda and Georgiev won 6-3 on court one and Meethre Barot and Noah McDonald also won 6-3 on court three.
 
McDonald kept his momentum going and extended the lead with a 6-2, 6-0 win on court four, before Finkelstein won his first dual match win for the Mustangs in straight sets (6-1, 6-3) to make it 3-0.
 
Lamar won court 6 (6-1, 7-5) but Vikas Deo clinched the win for SMU on court five in straight sets (6-1, 6-3).
 
Georgi Georgiev won his match on court (3-6, 6-2, 10-5) and Krish Arora ended the day with a  6-7, 6-2, 10-3 win on court three.
 
vs No. 7 Mississippi State
Doubles Scores
1. No. 2 Petar Jovanovic / Benito Sanchez def. Trevor Svajda / Alex Finkelstein (6-4)
2. Georgi Georgiev / Krish Arora def. Niccolo Baroni / Mario Martinez Serrano (6-3)
3. Michal Novansky / Br Hernandez Cortes def. Jerry Barton / Vikas Deo (6-4)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
 
Singles Scores
1. No. 2 Trevor Svajda def. No. 54 Benito Sanchez Martinez (6-2, 6-3)
2. No. 13 Petar Jovanovic def. Alex Finkelstein (6-3, 2-6, 6-1)
3. Niccolo Baroni def. Georgi Georgiev (2-6, 6-3, 6-4)
4. No. 37 Mario Martinez def. Krish Arora (6-3, 4-6, 6-2)
5. Jerry Barton def. No. 34 Bryan Henandez (3-6, 6-4, 6-2)
6. No. 125 Rephael Vaksmann def. Noah McDonald (6-4, 3-6, 6-1)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 6, 5, 4, 3
 
Vs Lamar
Doubles Scores
1. Trevor Svajda / Georgi Georgiev def. Leon Nickel / Maxwell Lindstedt (6-3)
2. Vikas Deo / Jerry Barton def. Vicente Monge / Rintaro Shukuda (6-1)
3. Meethre Barot / Noah McDonald vs. Axel Bergh / Guy Dagan (6-3)
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles Scores
1. Georgi Georgiev def. Leon Nickel (3-6, 6-2, 10-5)
2. Alex Finkelstein def. Fabian Anthin (6-1, 6-3)
3. Krish Arora def. Maxwell Lindsted (6-7(8),
4. Noah McDonald def. Vicente Monge (6-2, 6-0)
5. Vikas Deo def. Stefano Chappuis (6-1, 6-3)
6. Lukas Hamacher def. Meethre Barot (6-1, 7-5)
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 6, 5, 1, 3
 
What's Next?
SMU will host Wisconsin at Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex on Jan. 17.