Benito Sanchez Martinez Earns Second SEC Player of the Week Honor
April 15, 2025 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE - For the second time this season, Mississippi State's Benito Sanchez Martinez has been named the SEC Men's Tennis Player of the Week. It also marks the third time in the last four weeks that a Bulldog has earned the conference's weekly honor.
Sanchez Martinez has once again proven to be a driving force behind Mississippi State's success this spring. The junior has anchored the Bulldogs from the top singles position for much of the season, helping MSU to an 11-3 SEC record and a current seven-match winning streak.
Last weekend, Sanchez Martinez delivered a flawless performance, going 4-0 in singles and doubles competition in road victories over Ole Miss and Alabama. Teaming up with Petar Jovanovic, the nation's No. 2-ranked duo came up clutch against the Rebels with a 7-5 win over No. 69 Kai Milburn and Isac Stromberg, clinching the doubles point for MSU. It was their 10th doubles clinch of the season—tied for the most on the squad.
In singles, Sanchez Martinez kept the momentum rolling with a composed 6-4, 6-4 win over Ole Miss' Noah Schlagenhauf. The pairing of Sanchez Martinez and Jovanovic continued their dominance with another ranked win, dispatching Alabama's No. 28 duo of Damien Nezar and Andrii Zimnokh 6-4 to collect their SEC-best 15th ranked victory and extend their personal win streak to 12. They also ended SEC play undefeated with a 12-0 record.
The biggest moment of the weekend came in Tuscaloosa, where the Bulldogs trailed 3-2 late in the match. Facing No. 14 Filip Planinsek, Sanchez Martinez delivered a gritty, three-set comeback win—6-4, 1-6, 6-3—to level the score. MSU would go on to claim the match, 4-3. With that singles victory, Sanchez Martinez extended his individual win streak to 10 matches—the longest on the team—and recorded the highest-ranked win of his career. His performances last weekend let him ascend to No. 29 in singles, which is a career-high ranking for the Potsdam, Germany, native.
Mississippi State is back in action this Friday at 5 p.m. CT when the Bulldogs take on either LSU, Oklahoma or Georgia in the Quarterfinals of the SEC tournament.
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– HailState.com –
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