Before the season started, Michigan State University was ranked 23rd in the country in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason rankings. Star Ozan Baris reached the NCAA individual championship match, only falling in three sets to Columbia's Michael Zheng.
After starting the season with four winning matches in a row, including a win against No. 7 Kentucky, MSU has lost its last three games to No. 2 TCU, No. 19 Tennessee and Clemson.
Despite MSU’s three straight losses, one Spartan has still excelled.
Freshman Matthew Forbes made history for No. 16 Michigan State men's tennis, earning the program's first-ever Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after a standout performance on the road against No. 19 Tennessee and previously unbeaten Clemson.
Forbes secured two victories at No. 3 singles, first edging Tennessee’s Alan Jesudason in a grueling battle, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 1-0 (10-5), before dominating Clemson’s Wissam Abderrahman in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
Michigan State’s spring season award collection started on January 22nd when redshirt sophomore Aristotelis Thanos earned the player of the week award.
While the freshman had an impressive performance, Forbes saw a slight drop in the rankings, moving from No. 40 to No. 43. However, he continues to showcase his talent and ability to compete at the highest level.
Michigan State aims to halt its three-game losing streak when it faces Boise State in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday, Feb. 9. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT.
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