Michigan State Defeats Carolina in 2026 NCAA Tournament First Round
- 16 ranked Michigan State men's tennis team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on May 1, 2026, defeating North Carolina 4-1 in Columbia, South Carolina.
- The Spartans overcame an early deficit after dropping the doubles point to secure the victory at the Carolina Tennis Center.
- After North Carolina took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point, Michigan State responded by winning four consecutive singles matches.
The No. 16 ranked Michigan State men’s tennis team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament on May 1, 2026, defeating North Carolina 4-1 in Columbia, South Carolina.
The Spartans overcame an early deficit after dropping the doubles point to secure the victory at the Carolina Tennis Center. The match, which began at 11 a.m. ET, faced an initial interruption due to inclement weather and did not resume until 2:15 p.m.
Singles Dominance Secures Victory
After North Carolina took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point, Michigan State responded by winning four consecutive singles matches. The victory was officially clinched by sophomore Danial Rakhmatullayev, who defeated UNC’s Niels Ratiu with a score of 7-5, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.
Other key performances in the singles round included:
- Senior Aristotelis Thanos defeated Chris Xu at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-1.
- Senior Ozan Baris defeated Ian Mayew at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-1.
- Sophomore Matthew Forbes defeated Roan Jones at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-4.
Two matches remained unfinished as the victory was sealed: Taym Al-Azmeh against Constantinos Djakouris at No. 5 singles and Mitchell Sheldon against Anthony Wright at No. 6 singles.
Doubles Action and Match Context
The doubles portion of the match saw North Carolina’s Niels Ratiu and Chris Xu defeat Michigan State’s Mitchell Sheldon and Taym Al-Azmeh 6-3. The duo of Ian Mayew and Logan Zapp defeated Aristotelis Thanos and Danial Rakhmatullayev, also 6-3. The No. 1 pair for the Spartans, Ozan Baris and Matthew Forbes, held a 5-4 lead against Roan Jones and Anthony Wright when the match was called due to the Tar Heels clinching the doubles point.
With this win, Michigan State improves its season record to 19-8. North Carolina, which held a season-high ITA ranking of No. 41, finishes the season with a 15-12 record.
Looking Ahead to the Second Round
Michigan State is scheduled to face the host and No. 13-seed South Carolina on May 2, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET. This match marks a rematch for the Spartans, who previously faced the Gamecocks on January 23 during the ITA Kickoff Weekend, a contest South Carolina won 4-2.
South Carolina earned its place in the second round by defeating Richmond 4-0 on Friday evening.