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Baron ranked 5th in nation  Patrick Bergin The Mississippi State men's tennis team took another loss to Ole Miss in recent action in the SEC tournament this weekend. The 14th-ranked Rebels beat the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs for the fifth straight time last Friday. The tight match was split evenly in singles with the doubles point the deciding factor in the 4-3 loss. After a year of improved doubles play, the Bulldogs lost this close match in one of the areas where they probably held the advantage. After taking the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions, the Rebels held a 1-0 lead. The No. 12 tandem of Marco Baron and Charles Sevigny lost to the No. 27 Rebel pair in a close 8-6 match at the No. 1 position. State managed to win the No. 2 doubles as Bayon and Combette won their match 8-5. Ole Miss took the doubles point with a win at court three as Jerome Le Belicard and David Ruiz fell 8-3. "This is a very tough loss to take," coach Andy Jackson said. "We knew doubles would be a key in this match for us because they are so talented in singles, and we lost that point." In singles, the Bulldogs managed to make an incredible comeback. Displaying incredible poise for a true freshman, Rene Charles-Combette finished his match quickly at court five. Winning 6-3, 6-1, Combette tied the match 1-1. State took another point for a 2-1 lead as Marco Baron won at the No.1 position 6-2, 6-1. Baron has had a stellar week after the SEC tournament. After this victory, Baron moved from No. 12 in the nation to his current fifth position. This is his highest ranking ever and comes on the back of seven straight wins. Besides becoming a top-five player nationally, Baron has also been recognized for his off-the-court work. Baron was named Academic All-SEC along with senior Jeremy Bayon, junior Matthieu Soto and sophomore David Ruiz. With a 4.0 GPA in International Business, Baron balances scholastic achievement and academic excellence. Senior leader Bayon won his match 6-3, 6-2 at court two to push the lead to 3-1. The 78t- ranked team captain and Academic All-SEC also moved up in the rankings to 74th on the back of this win. Although State had a 3-1 lead, they couldn't win another match to clinch the victory. State started the downslide as Charles Sevigny fell at court six 6-2, 7-5. Freshman Jerome Le Belicard lasted three sets at court three in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 loss. With the match tied 3-3, the match was up to David Ruiz at court four. After losing the first set 6-4, Ruiz continued to fight. Despite being down 5-4 in the second set, Ruiz tied the set at five before losing in straight sets 6-4, 7-5. After losing in the quarterfinals at the SEC tournament, coach Jackson said the Bulldogs still have plans. With the NCAA tournament bids out in a couple of weeks, the Bulldogs will probably have a shot at postseason play. "This match meant a lot because it was in the SEC Tournament on our home court against our arch-rival. But at the same time, it is just another match. We are not done yet," Jackson said. |
