Men’s Tennis: Commodores Suffer Sixth Consecutive Loss
Vanderbilt extends losing streak after defeats to Mississippi State and Kentucky.

After a strong start to the season, Vanderbilt Men’s Tennis has hit a rough patch, dropping six consecutive matches since February 28. The Commodores, who began SEC play with a 6-2 record, have seen their national ranking slip from No. 32 on February 25 to No. 55 in the latest ITA rankings.

Following a March 9 loss to Pepperdine in Malibu, Vanderbilt returned to Nashville to face No. 16 Mississippi State on March 13, falling 1-6, followed by a 2-4 defeat to Kentucky two days later.

Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

Vanderbilt started strong in doubles play, with Danil Panarin and Pablo Martinez Gomez defeating Mississippi State’s Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano, 6-3. However, the Bulldogs quickly responded, winning the third doubles match. Vanderbilt’s top doubles team of Nathan Cox and Michael Ross held a lead but ultimately fell in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), to the No. 4-ranked pairing of Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez Martinez.

In singles, Panarin secured the Commodores’ lone victory with a comeback win over Jovanovic, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. The rest of the team lost in straight sets.

Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky

In Lexington, Vanderbilt faced defending SEC champion Kentucky. The Commodores took an early lead, winning the doubles point with Panarin and Gomez claiming a 7-6 (5) victory. Michael Ross added a second point for Vanderbilt, winning his singles match 6-4, 6-1. However, Kentucky swept the remaining four singles matches to secure the win, with first-year standout Antoine Ghibaudo defeating Cox at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-3.

Looking Ahead

Vanderbilt will begin a homestand against No. 13 Texas A&M on March 21, followed by a match against Florida on March 23 during the program’s alumni weekend.

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