MSU Wraps Up Pre-Qualifying Play At ITA All-American

Saturday, October 1

Tulsa, Okla.

All Day

Mississippi State

ITA All-American Championships

Strahinja Rakic earned his first fall win as a Bulldog.

MSU Wraps Up Pre-Qualifying Play At ITA All-American

October 01, 2016 | Men's Tennis

ITA All-American Day One Results

TULSA, Okla. – Sophomore Strahinja Rakic picked up his first fall singles win under head coach Matt Roberts, as the Mississippi State men's tennis team concluded pre-qualifying action at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Championships on Saturday.

MSU had two Bulldogs competing on the first day of play from Tulsa, as Rakic and fellow sophomore Trevor Foshey played in the pre-qualifying singles draw.

Foshey began the day against 17-32 seed Peter Bertran at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center, but the sophomore fell in a hard-fought match, 6-4, 6-3. For Rakic, Saturday began with a solid straight-set win against Wichita State's Miroslav Herzan, 6-2, 6-2. The Bulldog moved on to the round of 128 where he faced North Carolina's Joshua Peck, but couldn't overcome the Tar Heel as he fell 7-6(3), 6-3.

Up Next
Foshey will compete in consolation action on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. CT. MSU's next day of play will be on Monday, Oct. 3, as the qualifying round kicks off. Senior Vaughn Hunter and sophomore Niclas Braun will be representing the Bulldogs in singles play, while senior and 26th ranked Mate Cutura and 43rd ranked Nuno Borges start competition on Thursday, Oct. 6 in the main draw.

Last season, then freshman Braun took three singles matches in pre-qualifying action at the ITA All-American Championships. The Berlin native finished the fall with nine singles wins, before compiling a team-high 27 victories for the 2015-16 season overall.

In doubles play, the 19th ranked pair of Cutura and Hunter are in the main draw, while Braun and Foshey start out in the qualifying round with Borges and Rakic serving as the second alternate for the qualifying doubles as well.

Social Media:
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

ITA All-American Championships
Oct. 1, 2016 – Michael D. Case Tennis Center – Tulsa, Okla.

Pre-Qualifying Singles
Round of 256 – Bertran (USF) def. Foshey (MSU) 6-4, 6-3; Rakic (MSU) def. Herzan (Wichita St.) 6-2, 6-2
Round of 128 – Peck (UNC) def. Rakic (MSU) 7-6(3), 6-3