Rentouli Headlines Stellar Summer For Women's Tennis Bulldogs
July 30, 2015 | Men's Tennis
By: Mississippi State Athletic Media Relations
While the summer heat beats down on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, two incoming women's tennis Bulldogs have been tearing up the tennis courts both in the United States and abroad over the past several months.Â
Freshman Anastasia Rentouli, who signed with coach Daryl Greenan's squad earlier in the spring, added to the growing list of summer accomplishments already set in motion by incoming sophomore Madison Harrison. Rentouli took part in the Girls 18U European Summer Cup for her home nation of Greece, as they faced off against Russia in the semifinals. Despite falling 2-1 in the overall match, Rentouli picked up what is one of the biggest wins on the junior circuit this summer, taking down Anna Blinkova 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-2.
Blinkova entered Thursday's competition as the No. 4 ranked junior in the world while also reaching the championship match of The 2015 Junior Championships at Wimbledon earlier in July, making Rentouli's victory arguably one of the best in the collegiate tennis world this summer.
Rentouli and the rest of her teammates will take on Moldova in the third place match at the Euro Summer Cup later this week.
Back on American soil, Harrison has been one of the top performers on the ITA Summer Circuit, capturing two singles titles while also reaching the doubles championship match once. Harrison tallied her first singles title of the summer in late June, downing four of the Tallahassee Open's top seeds to obtain victory. Harrison also teamed up with Christiana Brigante to reach the semifinals of doubles play.
Harrison returned back to the winner's circle almost a month later, winning the singles title at the Tuscaloosa Open while taking down several SEC opponents along the way. Harrison once again teamed up with Brigante, this time reaching the championship match, which included defeating the region's top-seeded duo.
Only 18 days separate us from the return of classes to the MSU campus and eventually the fall tennis season with the future of Mississippi State women's tennis looking to be even brighter than ever. And it is all thanks to a number of experienced returnees from last year's historic season and a skilled and hungry crop of newcomers ready to don the Maroon and White.
