Mississippi State
Three Oaks Shootout
Bulldogs Finish Wet Day In Fort Myers
January 16, 2016 | Men's Tennis
FORT MYERS, Fla. – On the opening day of the Three Oaks Shootout, the Mississippi State men's tennis team battled through the rain to complete a successful first day in Fort Myers, Fla.
Action was set to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday morning, but Mother Nature delayed the start of the tournament, with play not beginning until the late afternoon. MSU faced off against members of the No. 6 Illinois team, winning three singles matches and dropping five to the Illini while splitting doubles 2-2.
“Overall we had a good first experience for the new guys,” Head coach Matt Roberts said. “Even though this was a hidden dual match, it felt very much like the real thing and it was great for our freshmen to see what college tennis is all about. Everyone competes so hard for each point no matter the conditions and spot in the lineup and that is the mentality our team needs.
Juniors Rishab Agarwal and Vaughn Hunter picked up singles wins against Aleks Vukic (6-7, 6-2, 6-4) and Brian Page (6-4, 6-1) respectively, while freshman Niclas Braun won in straight sets over Alex Jesse, 6-2, 6-0.
In their first taste of action this season, the freshmen trio of Nuno Borges, Luka Sucevic and Strahinja Rakic each dropped hard-fought matches against Illini opponents. Newcomer Borges faced the toughest matchup of the day, facing No. 21 Jared Hiltzik on Friday. The Bulldog forced Hiltzik to three sets before falling, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6.
Also getting his first action of the season was junior Mate Cutura, who faced No. 41 Aron Hiltzik. Cutura fell in his first competition of the year, 6-2, 6-3.
Rounding out the singles action on Friday was freshman Lucas Sanchez, who lost to Pablo Landa, 6-2, 6-3.
“What would have been a 4-3 loss was something our guys need to experience and learn how to bounce back,” Roberts said. “I hope to see us come out with resiliency tomorrow as we face another tough opponent.”
The Maroon and White split doubles competition with Illinois, winning two matches while also dropping a pair. The teams of Braun/Hunter and Agarwal/Sanchez each picked up wins, while the pairing of Rakic/Sucevic and Borges/Cutura lost.
MSU will face members of the No. 3 ranked Texas Christian University squad at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday, before facing No. 15 South Florida on Sunday. 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.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow “HailStateMT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Three Oaks Shootout
Jan. 15, 2016 – Three Oaks Tennis Center – Fort Myers, Fla.
Singles - Jared Hiltzik def. Nuno Borges 6-3, 2-6, 7-6; Aron Hiltzik def. Mate Cutura 6-2, 6-3; Niclas Braun def. Alex Jesse 6-2, 6-0; Vaughn Hunter def. Brian Page 6-4, 6-1; Asher Hirsch def. Luka Sucevic 6-3, 4-6, 10-6; Pablo Landa def. Lucas Sanchez 6-2, 6-3; Julian Childers def. Strahinja Rakic 6-4, 6-3; Rishab Agarwal def. Aleks Vukic 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
Doubles - J. Hiltzik/Jesse def. Rakic/Sucevic 6-1; Page/Childers def. Borges/Cutura 6-3; Braun/Hunter def. Vukic/A. Hiltzik 7-5; Agarwal/Sanchez def. Hirsch/Landa 6-4
