Mississippi State
Tennessee
No. 44 MSU Sweeps SEC Weekend With 6-1 Win Against No. 72 Tennessee
March 13, 2016 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Despite suffering from flu-like symptoms before Sunday's match at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, freshman Niclas Braun propelled the 44th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (11-3, 3-1) to a 6-1 win against No. 72 Tennessee (6-8, 0-4).
The Bulldogs earned two crucial conference wins on the weekend, after blanking No. 12 Kentucky on Saturday. MSU has now won 11 out of its last 12 matches, while earning a perfect 9-0 record at home.
“Our confidence keeps growing after wins like these,” head coach Matt Roberts said. “We've been hammering home our message to these guys all year and I think they're really starting to come together as a unit and believe in one another.”
MSU is now 5-1 in their last six ranked matches this season.
The day began on a good note after the duo of Mate Cutura and Trevor Foshey earned a 6-2 win against UT's Preston Touliatos and Jack Heslin, but the Volunteers would rally to take the next two doubles matches for the point.
Despite dropping the doubles point and trailing 1-0, the Bulldogs would not lose their composure as five of the six first sets would go to MSU.
“We have so much confidence in our singles game,” Roberts said. “I never worry about us folding, because we know that we always have a shot no matter the outcome of doubles play. The veterans are stepping up and the young guys are following.”
Freshman Borges would secure MSU's first point of the afternoon, after defeating Jack Schipanski, 6-0, 6-1. The dual-match win for the Portugal native was his 10th of the season since arriving in January.
Soon after Borges' win, freshmen Trevor Foshey and Strahinja Rakic picked up wins on courts 6 and 5. Each blew by their foes in straight sets, with Foshey winning 6-2, 6-1 and Rakic cruising to a 6-0, 6-3 win to put MSU ahead 3-1.
It would take almost an hour for the Bulldogs to clinch the win however, as Braun fought through his illness on court 4 to win, 7-6(5), 6-2.
“The crowd gave me great energy today,” Braun said following the match. “I was not feeling good and the rest of the team picked me up. I am just happy that I could help us win today.”
The win for Braun was his 21st overall as a Bulldog and his 10th in dual-match play. His nine-match win streak currently sits as the best on the team for the season.
With the win in hand, ranked veterans No. 36 Cutura and No. 77 Agarwal would put on a thrilling display with all eyes on the final two courts. Cutura earned a win against UT's Luis Valero, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(8) after a third set that would come down to just a couple of points in a tie breaker. Agarwal closed out the match after storming back to take his match 6-7(1), 7-5, 1-0(2) to cap off six-consecutive singles wins for MSU against the Vols.
“We are still hungry and today shows it,” Roberts said. “We were not satisfied with only yesterday's win against Kentucky, we wanted to close out the weekend on a strong note. I think our guys kept their focus and didn't become complacent. We're growing and there are still more steps to go.”
After the 6-1 win, the Bulldogs are now 3-1 in the league with a pair of conference road matches on the horizon. MSU travels to College Station and Baton Rouge next weekend to face Texas A&M and LSU to continue SEC play.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow “HailStateMT” on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
No. 44 Mississippi State 6, No. 72 Tennessee 1
March 13, 2016 – A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre – Starkville, Miss.
Doubles
1. Valero/Schipanski (UT) def. Nuno Borges/Niclas Braun (MSU) 6-3
2. Mate Cutura/Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Touliatos/Heslin (UT) 6-2
3. Jakovljevic/Stodder (UT) def. Rishab Agarwal/Vaughn Hunter (MSU) 6-3
Singles
1. #36 Mate Cutura (MSU) def. Luis Valero (UT) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0(8)
2. #77 Rishab Agarwal (MSU) def. Timo Stodder (UT) 6-7(1), 7-5, 1-0(2)
3. Nuno Borges (MSU) def. Jack Schipanski (UT) 6-0, 6-1
4. Niclas Braun (MSU) def. Srdjan Jakovljevic (UT) 7-6(5), 6-2
5. Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Preston Touliatos (UT) 6-0, 6-3
6. Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Jack Heslin (UT) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish…Doubles…2, 1, 3 Singles… 3, 6, 5, 4, 1, 2
