MSU?s Braun Earns SEC Freshman of the Week Honors
February 03, 2016 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Coming off a weekend that saw him go a combined 6-0 in singles and doubles play, Mississippi State freshman Niclas Braun was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league announced on Wednesday.
Braun is the first MSU player to win an SEC weekly award since junior Mate Cutura won it in back-to-back weeks last April.
“This is a great recognition for all the hard work Niclas has put in over the last six months here,” head coach Matt Roberts said. “He's continuing to grow each week and handles himself like an upperclassman.”
Behind the solid play of Braun on Saturday, the Bulldogs defeated No. 72 UNC Wilmington, 4-3 for their first win of the season. It was also Braun's first dual-match victory of his Bulldog career as he won in straight sets against UNCW's Xander Veys, 6-0, 6-2.
On Sunday he propelled the Maroon and White to a doubleheader sweep, as MSU blanked George Washington, 4-0, and Alcorn State, 7-0. In the wins he downed two foes in singles play, also in straight sets, winning 6-1, 7-6(3) against GW's Chris Fletcher and 6-0, 6-2, versus Alcorn State's Vasudev Vijayaraman.
In doubles play the German native was paired with fellow freshman Nuno Borges, as the two paced the Bulldogs in doubles by winning all three matches over the weekend. The tandem of Braun and Borges have won over half of the Maroon and White's doubles matches in dual match play.
Braun and the Bulldogs return to A.J. Pitts this Saturday, Feb. 6 for another home doubleheader as MSU hosts Samford and Alabama State at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. CT.
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