No. 6 Mississippi State Rolls Past Tennessee Tech; Faces No. 33 Wisconsin in Saturday Showdown

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No. 6 Mississippi State Rolls Past Tennessee Tech; Faces No. 33 Wisconsin in Saturday Showdown

May 01, 2026 | Men's Tennis

By: Tad Couch, Athletic Communications Student Intern

STARKVILLE – No. 6 Mississippi State opened NCAA Tournament play in dominant fashion Friday, sweeping Tennessee Tech 4-0 in the first round at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

The Bulldogs set the tone early by securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Benito Sanchez Martinez and Michal Novansky cruised to a 6-1 victory at the top spot, while Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Petar Jovanovic sealed the point with a 6-4 win on court three.

Mississippi State carried that momentum into singles, where it quickly took control across the lineup. Raphael Vaksmann and Hernandez Cortes delivered straight-set victories on courts four and five, Vaksmann winning 6-1, 6-2 and Hernandez Cortes, 6-2, 6-2, to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

Mario Martinez Serrano clinched the match on court three, dispatching Diego Munoz 6-1, 6-2 to secure the 4-0 sweep.

Several other courts were nearing completion when play was halted, with the Bulldogs holding commanding leads on all remaining courts.

Records
No. 6 Mississippi State (23-5, 11-3 SEC)
Tennessee Tech (16-8, 6-0 HL)

Match Notes
• Bryan Hernandez Cortes secured his 10th consecutive singles win extending his career-long singles win streak.
• Mario Martinez Serrano recorded his seventh dual match clich of the season.
• Raphael Vaksmann secured his 19^th dual singles win of the season.
• Petar Jovanovic and Bryan Hernandez Cortes picked up their first ever win as a pair.
• Mississippi State now is 19-3 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
• The Bulldogs are 14-1 in the Starkville regional all-time.
•  State improved to 39-30 all-time in NCAA Tournament with the win.

Up Next
No. 6 Mississippi State will face No. 33 Wisconsin at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 1 p.m. in Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament.

Match Results
Doubles
1. Benito Sanchez Martinez and Michal Novansky (MSU) def. Alex Alvarez and Davids Spaks (TTU) – 6-1
2. Mario Martinez Serrano and Niccolo Baroni (MSU) vs. Christian Capuccini and Sean Daryabeigi (TTU) – 5-2 unf.
3. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Petar jovanovic (MSU) def. Murilo Burckhardt and Diego Munoz (TTU) – 6-4*
Mississippi State won the Doubles Point
Order of Finish: 1, 3*

Singles
1. Benito Sanchez Martinez (MSU) vs. Alex Alvarez (TTU) – 6-4, 2-1 unf.
2. Niccolo Baroni (MSU) vs. Davids Spaks– 6-1, 5-1 unf.
3. Mario Martinez Serrano (MSU) def. Diego Munoz (TTU) – 6-1, 6-2*
4. Raphael Vaksmann (MSU) def. Murilo Burckhardt (TTU) – 6-1, 6-2
5. Bryan Hernandez Cortes (MSU) def. Ricard Yepez (TTU) – 6-2, 6-2
6. Michal Novansky (MSU) vs. Linus Rohlin (TTU) – 6-2, 5-2 unf.
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3*
*Clincher

For more Information on the Bulldog women's tennis program, visit Hailstate.com or search for "HailstateMT" on X, Instagram and Facebook.

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