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LUBBOCK, Texas — The University of Iowa men’s tennis team fell, 4-1, to No. 20 Mississippi State in the championship match at the ITA Kickoff event hosted by Texas Tech University. The loss is the first of the spring season for the Hawkeyes, who fall to 3-1, while the Bulldogs improve to 3-0.
“You always want to win, obviously, but just the goals we had as a team, how we competed, how we handled ourselves emotionally, I thought we did an unbelievable job,” said UI head coach Ross Wilson.
“We accomplished those goals and the guys see that if we can handle ourselves like that in every single match we are going to have a chance to have a really good year.”
Junior Lefteris Theodorou was the only Hawkeye with a singles victory, knicking off Mate Cutura, 6-4, 6-3.
In doubles, senior Robin Haden and junior Jake Jacoby pulled off a, 6-3, win on court three.
Courts one and three nearly pulled off doubles wins in tie break sets, however, the duos lost, 7-6(6) and 7-6(3), respectively.
“The guys fought well. I thought we played well; we just came up one point short in the doubles,” added Wilson.
Haden played against his former team for the first time as a Hawkeye today. The Swede fell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
“Mississippi State is a great team that’s been in this position a lot more times than we have,” Wilson said. “We definitely will learn from this.”
The Hawkeyes are back home, Feb. 3 to host Omaha and Drake inside the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex.
NO. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE 4, IOWA 1
Singles
- T #6 Nuno Borges (MS) def. Josh Silverstein (UI): 6-2, 6-1
- Lefteris Theodorou (UI) def. Mate Cutura (MS): 6-4, 6-3
- Strahinja Rakic (MS) def. Kareem Allaf (UI): 6-2, 7-5
- Niclas Braun (MS) def. Robin Haden (UI): 6-3, 6-4
- Jonas Larsen UI) vs. Giovanni Oradini (MS): 3-6, 6-1, unfinished
- Jake Jacoby (UI) vs. Simon Baudry (MS): 5-7, 6-1, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1,2,3,4
Doubles
- Cutura/Hunter (MS) def. Silverstein/Theodorou (UI): 7-6(6)
- Braun/Foshey (MS) def. Allaf/Larsen (UI): 7-6(3)
- Haden/Jacoby (UI) def. Borges/Rakic (MS): 6-3
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
