Michigan State men’s tennis, ranked No. 28 in the nation, is heading west for its final regular-season road trip. The Spartans will take on No. 30 USC on Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, followed by a matchup against No. 27 UCLA on Sunday, April 13 at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT in Los Angeles.
These matches mark the Spartans’ first-ever meetings with both USC and UCLA since the two Pac-12 powerhouses joined the Big Ten, along with Washington and Oregon.
Spartans Rising in Rankings
Michigan State moved up three spots in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings this week, climbing from No. 31 to No. 28 after recent wins over Northwestern and Illinois.
Four Spartans earned national recognition in the singles rankings. Junior Ozan Baris rose to No. 9, redshirt sophomore Aristotelis Thanos jumped to No. 31, senior Max Sheldon landed at No. 98, and freshman Matthew Forbes is just outside the top 100 at No. 101.
Freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season. The Kazakhstan native earned the honor after strong performances against Northwestern and Illinois. He teamed with Sheldon to win their doubles match 6-2 against Northwestern and added a 7-5, 6-2 singles win. Against Illinois, Rakhmatullayev helped secure another doubles point with a 6-1 win alongside Sheldon.
Spartans Making Their Mark
Rakhmatullayev is the sixth Spartan to receive Big Ten honors this season. Sheldon was recognized on Sept. 25, Baris on Oct. 16, and Rakhmatullayev again on Oct. 30. In the spring, Thanos was honored on Jan. 22, Forbes on Feb. 5, and Vuk Radjenovic on March 26.
Recent Success
Michigan State earned its third top-25 win of the season last weekend with a 4-0 sweep over No. 24 Illinois. The Spartans previously defeated No. 7 Kentucky and No. 10 Arizona.
MSU kept the same doubles lineup from their win over Northwestern. Baris and Forbes played at No. 1, Thanos and Radjenovic at No. 2, and Sheldon and Rakhmatullayev at No. 3. Sheldon and Rakhmatullayev won 6-1, while Baris and Forbes sealed the doubles point with a 6-2 victory.
In singles, freshman Mitchell Sheldon won 6-2, 6-1, Radjenovic followed with a 7-5, 6-2 win, and Max Sheldon clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-1 result. The other matches were left unfinished.
Scouting the Opponents
USC
The Trojans, currently ranked No. 30, are 12-7 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten play. They recently defeated rival UCLA 4-3, snapping the Bruins’ six-match win streak. USC also beat Penn State but lost to No. 3 Ohio State on their recent road trip.
UCLA
UCLA is ranked No. 32 and holds a 9-8 overall record with a strong 7-2 Big Ten mark. The Bruins opened conference play with six straight wins, including a 4-0 sweep of Washington.
UCLA features four nationally ranked singles players: Spencer Johnson (No. 24), Rudy Quan (No. 34), Emon Van Loben Sels (No. 87), and Adarsh Tripathi (No. 113). In doubles, Tripathi and Alex Hoogermartins are ranked No. 27.
Looking Ahead
The Spartans return home on Saturday, April 19 to host in-state rival No. 21 Michigan for Senior Day. The match begins at 12 p.m. ET and will honor seniors Max Sheldon and Josh Portnoy.
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