Men?s Tennis Heads To Florida For Final Tune Up
January 14, 2016 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the spring season rapidly approaching, the Mississippi State men's tennis team travels to Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday for a final tune up before dual match play begins, participating in the Three Oaks Shootout, hosted by the University of Illinois.
The three-day tournament will feature three top-ranked teams, with the Bulldogs facing opponents from the likes of No. 3 TCU, No. 6 Illinois and No. 15 South Florida. MSU begins action on Friday at 9 a.m. CT, with the tournament ending on Sunday. The individual player with the most points via wins will be awarded “Most Outstanding Player” by the tournament.
“We have a great weekend ahead for our guys against quality competition that will give us a good test before starting the spring season,” MSU coach Matt Roberts said. “For our incoming freshmen it will give them a taste of college tennis leading into the ITA Kickoff next weekend.”
State added three talented freshmen to the team in the spring, with the addition of Nuno Borges, Strahinja Rakic and Luka Sucevic. For Borges, the Portuguese standout comes to campus as one of the most highly-touted players in MSU history, while the Serbian duo of Rakic and Sucevic have compiled an impressive junior career on the ITF Pro Circuit.
Junior Mate Cutura will also be getting his first taste of action this season, as he sat out the fall slate rehabbing an injury. Juniors Rishab Agarwal and Vaughn Hunter, along with the freshmen trio of Niclas Braun, Trevor Foshey and Lucas Sanchez will round out the full cast of Bulldogs.
MSU will carry all nine players to the Three Oaks Shootout, as it will be the first time the fully assembled roster has been on the court for competition this season.
After the conclusion of the Three Oaks Shootout, the Bulldogs make the short trip to Tampa, Fla., for the ITA Kickoff on Jan. 23-24 to officially begin the spring season. State will face LSU to kickoff the dual match slate, with the start time to be determined. The weekend also includes Florida State and host South Florida.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow “HailStateMT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
