Alabama
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Mississippi State
Alabama Battles No. 11 Mississippi State in Back-and-Forth 4-3 Loss
4/13/2025 6:44:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The match was the Crimson Tide’s ninth 4-3 result in conference play this season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In a battle that came down to a third-set tiebreaker, the Alabama men's tennis team (14-11, 4-10 SEC) fell 4-3 to the No. 11 Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-4, 11-3 SEC) on Sunday.
Zach Foster and Filip Planinsek dominated their doubles match, dropping just one game as Roan Jones and Matic Kriznik battled through a tiebreaker to give UA the opening point. Kriznik and Andrii Zimnokh tallied wins for the Tide in singles play as the two teams sat tied 3-3 late in the match. Enzo Aguiard fought his way to a 6-6 tie in a third-set tiebreaker but would be unable to secure the win.
From Head Coach George Husack
"Special day with plenty of special moments. So proud of these seniors and the effort the team put forth today against a tough opponent. We needed a performance like today to prepare us for the tournament. We've depended a lot on Filip this season and today we got contributions from many others. That shows growth, improvement and belief from everyone. We will use this battle today to provide further confidence in ourselves and take it all into the postseason. Sure, it stings but we don't need ointment. Just another opportunity to get out there and respond.
"The seniors have committed and given a lot to this program. I remember Zach, Filip and Enzo all showing up in July 2021 like little boys wondering what was going to happen here at Bama. They couldn't visit because of Covid restrictions. They took a leap of faith and trusted what we told them they would experience and have all matured infinitely throughout the process. While Damien (Nezar) was a freshman at another school, he too trusted what we said we'd provide him and has been excited to be here from the moment he stepped foot on campus. I'm forever grateful for their tireless effort, invaluable commitment and for making an impact in this program and my life. I'm forever grateful to them all."
Match Notes
- Zach Foster and Filip Planinsek cruised to a 6-1 victory over Mississippi State on court two to give the Tide an early advantage
- The Bulldogs found a win on court one to force the doubles decision to come from a third-set tiebreaker on court three
- Roan Jones and Matic Kriznik captured four straight points before the Bulldogs could get on the board in the tiebreak
- The UA duo continued to press, taking a 7-2 victory to secure a 1-0 start for the Tide
- Mississippi State captured back-to-back wins on courts two and six, respectively, but a pair of wins on courts five and three from the Tide moved UA back in front
- Matic Kriznik took a straight set 6-1, 6-3 win on court five over Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes, while Andrii Zimnokh secured an upset, 6-3, 6-4 decision over No. 96 Mario Martinez Serrano on court three
- Mississippi State would go on to win court one to force the deciding point to come down to court four
- Enzo Aguiard won the opening set but fell in set two with 6-4, 4-6 scores
- Aguiard and MSU's Dusan Milanovic would swap points in the tiebreaker, which included a 6-6 tie, before Milanovic secured a 10-8 victory
- The 4-3 decision against the Bulldogs marked the ninth time in Southeastern Conference play that the Tide had recorded the team score
Next
- Alabama will head to Columbia, S.C., for the SEC Tournament
- The five-day tournament is set to begin on April 16
- The Tide will face Vanderbilt in the opening round of the tournament at 9 a.m. CT
Results
Doubles
- #2 Benito Sanchez Martinez / Petar Jovanovic (MSU) def. #28 Andrii Zimnokh / Damien Nezar (UA) 6-4
- Filip Planinsek / Zach Foster (UA) def. #63 Niccolo Baroni / Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU) 6-1
- Matic Kriznik / Roan Jones (UA) def. Dusan Milanovic / Michal Novansky (MSU) 7-6 (2)
Order of Finish 2,1,3
Singles
- #41 Bento Sanchez Martinez (MSU) def. #14 Filip Planinsek (UA) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
- #61 Peter Jovanovic (MSU) def. #76 Roan Jones (UA) 6-1, 6-0
- Andrii Zimnokh (UA) def. #96 Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
- Dusan Milanovic (MSU) def. Enzo Aguiard (UA) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8)
- Matic Kriznik (UA) def. Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
- Bryan Hernandez Cortes (MSU) def. Damien Nezar (UA) 6-0, 6-3
Order of Finish 2,6,5,3,1,4
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
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#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,6,5,3,1,4
Players Mentioned
