Strode Grabs Win in Razorback Setback to Mississippi St. 6-1
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas sophomore Blake Strode notched an upset win at No. 1 singles, but the Razorbacks ran into a red-hot Mississippi St. squad in a, 6-1, loss Friday afternoon at the UA Outdoor Tennis Complex.
The Razorbacks (7-15, 0-7 SEC) were playing their first home match since March 11, and the Hogs failed to win the doubles point for just the second time in their previous five matches.
Mississippi St. (6-9, 3-4) has now won three straight conference matches after the Bulldogs, ranked No. 61, defeating Vanderbilt and Kentucky last weekend.
Strode provided the lone point for the Razorbacks. The 95th-ranked St. Louis, Mo. native earned his 22nd win of the season, knocking off 39th-ranked Ivan Bjelica, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 1 singles. Strode improved to 22-10 on the season, 13-7 in dual matches and 3-4 in SEC play. Bjelica had previously defeated five ranked opponents in a row.
Mississippi St. swept the doubles play, including Bjelica and Phillippe Frayssinoux upsetting the Hogs’ pair of Strode and Colin Mascall, 9-8(6). Strode and Mascall, ranked 27th nationally, fall to 17-6 on the season, 13-5 in dual matches and 4-3 in SEC action.
Arkansas hits the road Sunday, traveling to Oxford, Miss. to take on No. 10 Ole Miss. The Razorbacks and Rebels are set for a 1 p.m. first serve. Live scoring will be available at Hogwired.com.
#61 Mississippi St. 6, Arkansas 1
March 30, 2007
UA Outdoor Tennis Complex, Fayetteville, Ark.
Singles
1. #95 Blake Strode (ARK) def. #39 Ivan Bjelica (MSU), 6-4, 7-5
2. Phillippe Frayssinoux (MSU) def. Colin Mascall (ARK), 6-3, 6-2
3. Artem Kuznetsov (MSU) def. Dmitry Lebedev (ARK), 6-4, 6-0
4. Ryan Farlow (MSU)) def. Andrei Nicoara (ARK), 6-2, 6-2
5. Edouard Benchetrit (MSU) def. Jorge Villanueva (ARK), 6-0, 6-1
6. Chris Doerr (MSU) def. Bradwin Williams (ARK), 6-4, 2-6, 1-0(2)
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2*, 3, 6, 1
Doubles
1. Bjelica/Frayssinoux (MSU) def. #27 Mascall/Strode (ARK), 9-8(6)
2. Kuznetsov/Pjotrs Necajevs (MSU) def. Villanueva/Dmitry Vlaskin (ARK), 8-6
3. Doerr/Farlow (MSU) def. Gabriel Mattos/Williams (ARK), 8-4
Order of Finish: 3, 2*, 1
