No. 19 Tennessee Prevails Over No. 16 Michigan State, 4-3
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 19 Tennessee men’s tennis team emerged victorious with a 4-3 win over No. 16 Michigan State on Friday night at the Goodfriend Tennis Center in Knoxville.
Tennessee (5-2) got off to a strong start in doubles play, rallying back to claim consecutive victories on the final two courts after dropping the first.
The Spartans (4-2) grabbed an early advantage with a win at court three, but the Vols quickly responded. No. 59 Alan Jesudason and Shunsuke Mitsui combined forces to secure a hard-fought 7-6(3) win over Ozan Baris and Mitchell Sheldon on court one.
This was followed by No. 21 Alex Kotzen and Alejandro Moreno’s dominant 7-6(3) victory against Michigan State’s No. 66 Taym Alazmeh and Danial Rakhmatullayev, giving Tennessee a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Building on their momentum, the Vols swiftly extended their advantage in singles. Jose Garcia earned a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory over Vuk Radjenovic on court four, while No. 56 Alejandro Moreno crushed Alazmeh 6-3, 6-0 on court five.
With the score now at 3-0 in Tennessee’s favor, the match hinged on the outcome of the remaining contests.
Shunsuke Mitsui, ranked No. 18 nationally, sealed the win for the Vols with a decisive 6-4, 6-4 triumph over No. 83 Max Sheldon at No. 2 singles. Mitsui’s victory marked his sixth straight win of the dual season, extending his perfect record to 6-0.
Although Michigan State managed to claim wins on courts one, three, and six, the Vols held on for the 4-3 win, with Alex Kotzen falling in a dramatic three-set match and Alan Jesudason losing in a close tie-breaker.
Mitsui Sets School Record Milestone
With his singles win, senior Shunsuke Mitsui moved up to ninth place on Tennessee’s all-time singles wins list, now with 113 career victories. The Shizuoka, Japan native is now just two wins away from surpassing legendary Vol Paul Annacone, who finished his career with 115 wins.
Looking Ahead
Tennessee’s next challenge comes on February 8, when the Vols will host a doubleheader, facing Elon at 10 a.m. ET followed by Penn at 3 p.m. ET. The matches will take place either at the Good-friend Tennis Center or Barksdale Stadium.
For the latest news and updates, be sure to follow Tennessee men’s tennis on Twitter and Instagram, and like the team on Facebook.
Match Results:
Doubles:
1. #59 Alan Jesudason / Shunsuke Mitsui (TENN) def. Ozan Baris / Mitchell Sheldon (MSU), 7-6 (7-3)
2. #21 Alex Kotzen / Alejandro Moreno (TENN) def. #66 Taym Alazmeh / Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU), 7-6 (7-3)
3. Matthew Forbes / Vuk Radjenovic (MSU) def. James Newton / Jan Kobierski (TENN), 6-3
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles:
1. #8 Ozan Baris (MSU) def. #34 Alex Kotzen (TENN), 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-5)
2. #18 Shunsuke Mitsui (TENN) def. #83 Max Sheldon (MSU), 6-4, 6-4
3. #40 Matthew Forbes (MSU) def. Alan Jesudason (TENN), 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-5)
4. Jose Garcia (TENN) def. Vuk Radjenovic (MSU), 6-3, 6-1
5. #56 Alejandro Moreno (TENN) def. Taym Alazmeh (MSU), 6-3, 6-0
6. David Saye (MSU) def. Jan Kobierski (TENN), 6-4, 6-1
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 6, 2, 3, 1
