Spartan Saye Captures B1G Men’s Tennis Fall Singles Title, Teams With Sheldon To Win Doubles Crown

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's tennis senior David Saye captured the Big Ten Individual singles Championships title. Saye also teamed with sophomore Mitchell Sheldon to win the doubles title, at the fall conference meet played at Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin all weekend and concluding Sunday.

Saye is MSU's first fall Big Ten Individuals Championship winner since Mike Madura won in 1971 at No. 3 singles, while Saye and Sheldon are the first Spartan doubles champions since 1967, when MSU swept the doubles, as Rich Monan & Chuck Brianard won at No. 1 doubles, John Good & Mickey Szilagyi won at No. 2, while Jim Phillips & Vic Dhooge won at No. 3.

In doubles, the Spartan duo of Saye and Sheldon put together an incredible 4-0 victory run this weekend in Madison, taking them all the way to the finals. After receiving a bye in the round of 32, the duo opened with a 6-3 win over Wisconsin's Ferdinand Kloesters and Michael Minasyan. The MSU pair then defeated Joan Torres Espinosa and Niels Van Der Sijs from Nebraska 7-5, and Indiana's Facundo Yunis and Sam Landau, 6-4. Saye and Sheldon then dominated Wisconsin's Matthew Fullerton and Patrik Meszaros in an impressive 6-1 win on their home court.

Saye carried that momentum into singles play, posting a perfect 5-0 record to claim the Big Ten Singles title. Saye began singles action with a hard-fought 1-6, 6-2, 11-9 comeback victory over Wisconsin's Matthew Fullerton before defeating Benjamin Pomerantes of Indiana, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7. He advanced in the bracket to a rivalry match against Michigan's Bjorn Swenson, coming out victorious 3-6, 6-1, 10-6. In the semifinals, Saye defeated Patrik Meszaros (Wisconsin) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-3. In the singles final, Saye battled Michael Minasyan (Wisconsin) in a hard-fought 0-6, 6-3, 10-5.

Sheldon also turned in a strong showing in singles, going 4-1 on the weekend. Sheldon began singles play with victory over Joan Torres Espinosa (Nebraska) 6-3, 6-2, before falling to Michael Minasyan (Wisconsin) 6-2, 5-7, 11-9. Sheldon then defeated Edouard Aubert (Wisconsin) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 11-9 and Ferdinand Kloesters (Wisconsin) 6-4, 6-4.

Sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev fought through several close matches, earning two strong wins in singles action. He then defeated Karan Raghavendra (Indiana) 6-2, 6-2 and Vincent Yang (Northwestern) 6-3, 6-7 (6), 10-6, before falling 6-1, 7-6 (9) to Purdue's Stefan Simeunovic.

The Spartans will be back in action this upcoming weekend, Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 6-9, down the road in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the ITA Sectionals.

Doubles:

David Saye/Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Ferdinand Kloesters/Michael Minasyan (Wisconsin) 6-3

D. Saye/M. Sheldon (MSU) def. Joan Torres Espinosa/Niels Van Der Sijs (Nebraska) 7-5

D. Saye/M. Sheldon (MSU) def. Facundo Yunis/Sam Landau (Indiana) 6-4

D. Saye/M. Sheldon (MSU) def. Matthew Fullerton/Patrik Meszaros (Wisconsin) 6-1

Singles:

David Saye (MSU) def. Matthew Fullerton (Wisconsin) 1-6, 6-2, 11-9

Tomas Zlatohlavek (Wisconsin) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-7 (3), 6-2, 10-8

Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Joan Torres Espinosa (Nebraska) 6-3, 6-2

Michael Minasyan (Wisconsin) def. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) 6-2, 5-7, 11-9

David Saye (MSU) def. Benjamin Pomeranets (Indiana) 4-6, 6-3, 10-7

Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Edouard Aubert (Wisconsin) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 11-9

Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) def. Karan Raghavendra (Indiana) 6-2, 6-2

David Saye (MSU) def. Bjorn Swenson (Michigan) 3-6, 6-1, 10-6

Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) def. Vincent Yang (Northwestern) 6-3, 6-7 (6), 10-6

David Saye (MSU) def. Patrik Meszaros (Wisconsin) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-3

Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Ferdinand Kloesters (Wisconsin) 6-4, 6-4

Stefan Simeunovic (Purdue) def. Danial Rakhmatullayev (MSU) 6-1, 7-6 (9)

David Saye (MSU) def. Michael Minasyan (Wisconsin) 0-6, 6-3, 10-5

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