DALLAS — The 21st-ranked LSU men’s tennis team dropped its second consecutive match on Wednesday as it fell 4-2 to No. 9 SMU in Dallas, Texas.
With the loss, LSU is now 12-6 on the season, while the Mustangs improved to 14-1. SMU has won four striaght overall.
“We played tough today, but SMU was just a little bit better when they needed to be,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “We forced a couple of matches to three sets, but couldn’t win the big point.”
In total, three matches went to a third set, with the Mustangs winning two. Sebastian Rutka took the only three-set match for LSU as he outlasted Alexis Rudzinski, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 4 singles.
Johan Brunstrom and Ryan Mauck came up big for SMU in the three set matches as they scored wins over Jesse Smatt and John Gray Pou, respectively.
Brunstrom beat Smatt, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, on court five while Mauck outhit Pou, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, in a tight match at No. 6. Dan Kiernan, ranked 64th nationally, put up a tough fight against fourth-ranked Genius Chidzikwe at No. 2, but was unable to pull off the upset, 6-3, 7-6 (6).
Tenth-ranked Ajay Ramaswami earned LSU’s other point as he won on court one over No. 24 Jon Wallmark, 6-4, 7-6 (4). SMU won the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3.
FINAL SCORE: #9 SMU 4, #21 LSU 2
Singles –
1. Ajay Ramaswami (LSU) def. Jon Wallmark (SMU) – 6-4, 7-6 (4)
2. Genius Chidzikwe (SMU) def. Dan Kiernan (LSU) – 6-3, 7-6 (6)
3. Krystian Pfeiffer (SMU) vs. Sanjin Sadovich (LSU) – Did not finish
4. Sebastian Rutka (LSU) def. Alexis Rudzinski (SMU) – 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
5. Johan Brunstrom (SMU) def. Jesse Smatt (LSU) – 6-3, 0-6, 6-4
6. Ryan Mauck (SMU) def. John Gray Pou (LSU) – 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Doubles –
1. Brunstrom/Wallmark (SMU) def. Smatt/Sadovich (LSU) – 8-3
2. Kiernan/Rutka (LSU) def. Mauck/Chidzikwe (SMU) – 8-6
3. Pfeiffer/Lucasz Senczysyzn (SMU) def. Anthony Mateljan/Ramaswami (LSU) – 8-6