Freshman Matthew Forbes and junior Ozan Baris continued their strong run as a pair, winning 6-3 to remain undefeated at 3-0. The Spartans maintained control across all three doubles matches.

"We’ve had some good momentum, some good things go our way," Baris said. "We’ve had some good energy and then that leads us to playing some good doubles games."

Senior Max Sheldon and freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev added a 6-2 win in their match, while the third doubles pairing — freshman Vuk Radjenovic and redshirt sophomore Aristotelis Thanos — went unfinished after MSU secured the doubles point.

In singles, the Spartans started slowly, struggling to create separation in tightly contested matches. Four of the six first sets ended 7-5, with MSU winning three of those.

In the second sets, MSU settled in and took control, winning five of the six singles matches to secure the team victory.

"We were a little nervous and playing a little rocky at the start but then we were able to get the first sets in our favor," MSU men's tennis head coach Harry Judan said. "Once we moved to the second set, we were able to play a lot more relaxed and more free as they were playing with a lead."

That energy in doubles would prove crucial, as the Spartans faced early adversity in singles play before finding their footing.

"I'm excited to go up against Illinois as it's going to be an absolute dog fight, we've had some great home crowds this year and I'm excited to see another on Sunday," said Judan.

Michigan State’s next match is set for Sunday, April 6, at noon against Illinois at the MSU Tennis Center.