Jan. 25, 2003

WACO, Texas - The No. 3-ranked Baylor Bears handed host Mississippi State its first home opening loss in 17 seasons when they blanked the Bulldogs 7-0 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre in Starkville, Miss., on Saturday afternoon.

In doubles, Baylor's Benedikt Dorsch and Reiner Neurohr, playing at No. 3, gained a quick 8-2 victory. It wasn't quite as easy for Benjamin Becker and Zoltan Papp and Ivor Lovrak and Matias Marin. Becker and Papp, playing at No. 1, posted a 9-7 victory and Lovrak and Marin eeked out a 9-8(5) win.

In the sweep of singles, the bottom three positions posted quick two-set victories while the top three spots struggled, but prevailed in three sets each. Mississippi State claimed the first set at the top three positions and nearly took the first set at No. 4 as well before Papp prevailed. The Bears rallied for victory in all of those situations to close the door on any hope of a Mississippi State upset. At No. 3 Benjamin Becker claimed victory with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win. Matias Marin, playing at No. 2, posted a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory and Benedikt Dorsch, the nation's top ranked player, dropped the first set 3-6 but bounced back to win 7-6(7), 2-0 ret., when MSU all-American Romain Ambert stopped play in the third set due to a thigh ailment.

Ivor Lovrak, playing at No. 6, finished first for the Bears while Reiner Neurohr posted a straight sets win at No. 5. Zoltan Papp, playing in the No. 4 position, won his first set in a tiebreaker then whipped through the second set to give the Bears their fourth point of the match.

Baylor 7, Mississippi State 0
Doubles:
1. #47 Benjamin Becker/Zoltan Papp, BU def. Romain Ambert/Max Fromine, MSU 9-7
2. Ivor Lovrak/Matias Marin, BU def. Florent Girod/Jerome Le Belicard, MSU 9-8(5)
3. Benedikt Dorsch/Reiner Neurohr, BU def. Matt Armstrong/Michael Hailey, MSU 8-2

Singles:
1. #1 Dorsch, BU def. Ambert, MSU 3-6, 7-6(7), 2-0 ret.
2. #66 Marin, BU def. Le Bellicard, MSU 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
3. #23 Becker, BU def. Fomine, MSU 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
4. #22 Papp, BU def. Girod, MSU 7-6(6), 6-2
5. Neurohr, BU def. Armstrong, MSU 7-5, 6-1
6. #97 Lovrak, BU def. Hailey, MSU 6-2, 6-0

#3 Baylor 2-0
#25 Mississippi State 0-1

Next up for the Bears will be a battle with in-state rival SMU when they host the Mustangs on Sat., Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. at the Baylor Tennis Center.