COLLEGE STATION, Texas – No. 3-seeded LSU fell to No. 2-seeded Mississippi State today, 4-2, in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
LSU moves to 25-6, while Mississippi State improves to 22-4.
“It was a tough, but really good match today,” said head coach Danny Bryan. “You could see the momentum shifting back and forth multiple times with both teams battling hard. In the doubles, we certainly had chances because we were winning big points, even though I felt we were falling a little behind. In singles, we had a really good start in the first set on a lot of the courts. They came back on some of them, and credit to them – they don’t give you anything cheap. Our guys battled and gave everything they had, and we weren’t quite good enough today.”
When reflecting on the tournament and looking ahead to the future, Bryan said, “We have a lot to be proud of, getting the big win yesterday and the way we competed today. We certainly competed well enough to win, but it just didn’t work out today. Now, we will go back to rest up and refresh as we look forward to the NCAAs.”
At the third spot, Enzo Kohlmann and Olaf Pieczkowski faced Roberto Ferrer Guimaraes and Bryan Hernandez Cortes. The Bulldogs came out of the gate firing, racing to a 3-0 lead after stealing a break at their first opportunity. Kohlmann and Pieczkowski got on the board, trailing 3-1. The Tigers began to pose a threat to their opponent’s service games, but still could not find the decisive break in the middle stages. As the match approached the finish line, the Bulldogs maintained their three-game gap and continued to put pressure on the Tigers. Ultimately, Ferrer Guimaraes and Hernandez Cortes stayed strong, closing out the match 6-3
On court two, Erik Arutiunian and Matias Ponce de Leon matched up with Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano in a battle that featured gritty holds and clutch breaks. Each team settled in during the opening stages, holding serve until the score reached 2-2. Here, the Bulldogs earned their first break to take a 3-2 advantage. They followed that up with a 40-0 lead in the next game, but Arutiunian and Ponce de Leon rallied for four straight points to get back on serve at 3-3. From there on, neither team was able to apply enough pressure to capture another break as it appeared to be heading into a tiebreak. However, with a 6-5 lead, the Tigers upped their level at the right moment to notch the final break and seal the match, 7-5. The freshman-senior pair advanced their mark to 18-6, pushing their win streak to four to stay perfect in the postseason.
The deciding match for the doubles point fell on the top court, between No. 14 Sasa Markovic and Andrej Loncarevic versus No. 77 Benito Sanchez Martinez and Michal Novansky. The Tigers’ game has been defined by their superior service games all season; today, it was no different. Each team moved through the opening stages with authority, very little separating the two as the score advanced to 3-3. The Bulldogs applied pressure with a 5-4 lead, but Markovic and Loncarevic were able to hold off the challenge and bring it to a 5-5 stalemate before the match ultimately entered a tiebreak upon reaching 6-6. Sanchez Martinez and Novansky created an early separation at 3-1 and continued to move forward with a two-point margin. Although the Tigers saved two match points and brought it to 6-5, the Bulldogs ultimately came out on top, winning the match 7-6(5). LSU trailed Mississippi State, 1-0.
On court three, Alessio Vasquez got off to a similar start as yesterday, this time against No. 123 Hernandez Cortes. After holding his first game, the Bulldog captured the opening break, which eventually helped him land at a 3-0 advantage. Vasquez earned his first game at 3-1, and from there, both players advanced through their next couple of service games. Needing to make a run to stay alive, Vasquez found himself down 5-2. Here, Hernandez Cortes logged his second break to secure the first set, 6-2. The Tiger made the second set more competitive from the outset, holding serve until landing level at 2-2. Once again, Hernandez Crotes stepped up to break, 3-2. This time, however, he was unable to create a substantial separation as the German native fired right back to tie it once more at 3-3. Each player traded blows in a back-and-forth fight until the set eventually entered a tiebreak at 6-6. Reaching a 2-2 scoreline, the Bulldog improved his play for the last time, going on a five-point run to secure the match. LSU fell to Mississippi State, 2-0.
No. 25 Arutiunian got off to a quick start at the second spot against No. 84 Baroni. He flipped the script from his previous match, racing to a 3-0 lead to begin. He did not stop there, however; Arutiunian captured another break and defended it with imposing serves to complete his five-game run, dominating 5-0. Even after Baroni logged his first game at 5-1, Arutiunian never faltered and comfortably served out the opening set, 6-1. He continued his stellar play to take the first game with his returns, quickly advancing to a 3-1 lead. The Bulldog kicked into another gear midway through, making the set competitive as he broke to bring it level, 4-4. From that point on, neither forged ahead, and the set was forced into a tiebreak. Arutiunian played at his highest level, breaking away to post a perfect 7-0 tiebreak. His 7-6(0) second-set win earned him the match, moving his record to 19-6 as he captured his first postseason win. LSU got on the board with more work to do, down 2-1 versus Mississippi State.
On court four, Ponce de Leon entered a tight contest with Raphael Vaksmann. The senior opened sharply, just as he did the day before, posting a 3-0 cushion backed by a break. Vaksmann put his slow start behind him to get back on serve at 3-3. Now that both players had had their moment, nothing appeared to be changing in the remainder of the set. However, the Bulldog took charge at 5-5, putting the Tiger on his heels with a break to go ahead, giving him the energy to close it out, 7-5. Ponce de Leon responded with resilience in the second set, confidently racing to another 3-0 advantage. Just like the previous set, Vaksmann rediscovered his mojo, bringing to another 3-3 stalemate. Facing the pressure, Ponce de Leon continued to hold his serve but ultimately faced another setback after suffering a break at 6-5. With only a game to go, the Bulldog put the match away with a 7-5 second set. Mississippi State was one match away from victory, leading LSU 3-1.
At the sixth spot, Kohlmann battled Ferrer Guimaraes, seeking to bounce back from his previous match. Both players advanced through their opening service games with ease; however, the Brazilian native stormed ahead with a break at 3-1, backing it up with another hold to take a 4-1 lead. In firm control, Kohlmann played the rest of the set composed, refusing to let the lead slip. He maintained his three-game cushion down the stretch, wrapping the first set, 6-3. Momentum swings defined the second set, beginning with both players trading breaks, which landed them at 1-1. The score stayed tight in the early going until another opportunity to break free and make a run came about. Kohlmann, for the second time this set, went up a break at 4-3 before Ferrer Guimaraes prevented him from making a move, tying it at 4-4. More tense holds built up for a tiebreak at the end of the set after reaching 6-6. Looking to emerge victorious in straight sets, Kohlmann honed in on his play. After pushing to 3-1 early on and 5-1 at the switch, the sophomore never looked back as he capped it, 7-2. He captured his 10th win of the season as LSU closed the gap against Mississippi State, trailing 3-2.
On court three, No. 106 Loncarevic shared the court with No. 91 Martinez Serrano. The French native took early control with a break to move ahead 3-1 before holding a 4-1 advantage, appearing to dominate the opener. But Serrano responded with authority, reeling off three straight games to level it 4-4. Neither player took charge again as the set entered a tiebreak that would end up going the distance. Loncarevic saved a set point at 6-5 and then at 7-6 before having two set points of his own at 8-7 and 9-8. With his back against the wall, Martinez Serrano rallied for three consecutive points to narrowly edge the breaker, 11-9, and claim the set. Needing to fight back, Loncarevic carried the same intensity into the second set. Although he logged an early break at 2-1, Serrano immediately answered. From there, the two repeatedly drew level, even at 5-5, to keep the pressure. The Bulldog found the decisive push late in the frame, breaking at the final opportunity to prevent entering another tiebreak, winning 7-5. LSU fell to Mississippi State in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, 4-2.
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LSU vs Mississippi State Men
Apr 18, 2026 at College Station, Texas
Mitchell Tennis Center
#6 Mississippi State Men 4, #5 LSU 2
Singles competition
1. #7 Be Sanchez Martinez (MSST) vs. #28 Olaf Pieczkowski (LSU) 3-6, 6-2, 4-3, unfinished
2. #25 Erik Arutiunian (LSU) def. #84 Niccolo Baroni (MSST) 6-1, 7-6 (7-0)
3. #91 Ma Martinez Serrano (MSST) def. #106 Andrej Loncarevic (LSU) 7-6 (11-9), 7-5
4. Raphael Vaksmann (MSST) def. Matias Ponce De Leon (LSU) 7-5, 7-5
5. #123 Br Hernandez Cortes (MSST) def. Alessio Vasquez (LSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
6. Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) def. Ro Ferrer Guimaraes (MSST) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
Doubles competition
1. #77 Michal Novansky/Be Sanchez Martinez (MSST) def. #14 Sasa Markovic/Andrej Loncarevic (LSU) 7-6 (7-5)
2. Matias Ponce De Leon/Erik Arutiunian (LSU) def. Niccolo Baroni/Ma Martinez Serrano (MSST) 7-5
3. Ro Ferrer Guimaraes/Br Hernandez Cortes (MSST) def. Olaf Pieczkowski/Enzo Kohlmann (LSU) 6-3
Match Notes:
LSU 25-6; National ranking #5
Mississippi State 22-4; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,2,4,6,3)