Friday, January 20
Malibu, Calif.
4:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
Pepperdine
Bulldogs prepare to open season against Pepperdine on the road.
No. 20 MSU Opens 2017 On Road Against Pepperdine
January 19, 2017 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Led by six returners from last season's squad, the 20th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team opens the 2017 slate this Friday as the Bulldogs travel to Malibu, Calif., to face host Pepperdine.
Due to the threat of inclement weather, first serve at the Ralph-Straus Tennis Center is set for 4 p.m. CT. The match will be the first for both the Bulldogs and Waves this season. Live stats for Friday's match can be found by visiting HailState.com.
"We're ready to begin the spring season officially tomorrow in Malibu," third-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We've had a great fall season and our team improved tremendously from a year ago. Pepperdine has a great tennis program, so this will be a good test to begin the season for our guys."
The Bulldogs enter the 2017 season ranked No. 20 in the nation after last week's ITA National Team Rankings. The Maroon and White returns two seniors and four sophomores from last season's 18-9 squad that produced the program's 12th Round of 16 postseason berth.
Sophomore Nuno Borges will headline the talented returning group after a successful first year with the Bulldogs in 2016. Borges earned All-SEC Freshman Team and SEC All-Tournament Team honors last season, while finishing the spring ranked No. 70 in singles.
Over the fall, the sophomore posted one of the best fall campaigns in school history after claiming the ITA Southern Regional singles crown before advancing all the way to the semifinals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship. Borges' fall accolades, along with his 12-3 mark in singles play, propelled the sophomore to a tie for sixth overall in the nation in the first ITA National Singles Ranking of 2017 that was released on Jan. 4.
Joining Borges are fellow returning sophomores Niclas Braun, Trevor Foshey and Strahinja Rakic. All three Bulldogs competed over the fall in singles and doubles play, with Braun and Foshey forming a formidable duo to post a 7-3 mark. The sophomore tandem earned their first ITA ranking of their short careers, as Braun and Foshey currently rank as the 59th team in the nation.
Seniors Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter will provide experience to the youthful Bulldogs as the duo looks to repeat their mainstay in the doubles rankings from a season ago. The tandem finished the 2016 spring season ranked 47th in the nation, while Cutura capped off the spring ranked 43rd in singles action.
Newcomers Simon Baudry and Giovanni Oradini will strengthen the talented returners after the two joined the team in January. Baudry comes to MSU by the way of France while lefty Oradini hails from Italy.
Friday's opponent, Pepperdine, features an experienced lineup of three seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. Junior Lautaro Pane led the Waves with a 21-7 mark in singles last season, while the duo of Pane and Pedro Iamachkine topped the team with a 21-9 doubles record.
Up Next
After facing Pepperdine on Friday, the Bulldogs will head south to battle San Diego State on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Due to the threat of inclement weather, first serve at the Ralph-Straus Tennis Center is set for 4 p.m. CT. The match will be the first for both the Bulldogs and Waves this season. Live stats for Friday's match can be found by visiting HailState.com.
"We're ready to begin the spring season officially tomorrow in Malibu," third-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We've had a great fall season and our team improved tremendously from a year ago. Pepperdine has a great tennis program, so this will be a good test to begin the season for our guys."
The Bulldogs enter the 2017 season ranked No. 20 in the nation after last week's ITA National Team Rankings. The Maroon and White returns two seniors and four sophomores from last season's 18-9 squad that produced the program's 12th Round of 16 postseason berth.
Sophomore Nuno Borges will headline the talented returning group after a successful first year with the Bulldogs in 2016. Borges earned All-SEC Freshman Team and SEC All-Tournament Team honors last season, while finishing the spring ranked No. 70 in singles.
Over the fall, the sophomore posted one of the best fall campaigns in school history after claiming the ITA Southern Regional singles crown before advancing all the way to the semifinals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championship. Borges' fall accolades, along with his 12-3 mark in singles play, propelled the sophomore to a tie for sixth overall in the nation in the first ITA National Singles Ranking of 2017 that was released on Jan. 4.
Joining Borges are fellow returning sophomores Niclas Braun, Trevor Foshey and Strahinja Rakic. All three Bulldogs competed over the fall in singles and doubles play, with Braun and Foshey forming a formidable duo to post a 7-3 mark. The sophomore tandem earned their first ITA ranking of their short careers, as Braun and Foshey currently rank as the 59th team in the nation.
Seniors Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter will provide experience to the youthful Bulldogs as the duo looks to repeat their mainstay in the doubles rankings from a season ago. The tandem finished the 2016 spring season ranked 47th in the nation, while Cutura capped off the spring ranked 43rd in singles action.
Newcomers Simon Baudry and Giovanni Oradini will strengthen the talented returners after the two joined the team in January. Baudry comes to MSU by the way of France while lefty Oradini hails from Italy.
Friday's opponent, Pepperdine, features an experienced lineup of three seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and one freshman. Junior Lautaro Pane led the Waves with a 21-7 mark in singles last season, while the duo of Pane and Pedro Iamachkine topped the team with a 21-9 doubles record.
Up Next
After facing Pepperdine on Friday, the Bulldogs will head south to battle San Diego State on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes
- MSU is 3-2 all-time against Pepperdine, with all five matches coming at neutral sites
- State earned all three series wins in Louisville, Ky. (1992, 1995 & 1996)
- The two squads have not faced off since 2003
- The Bulldogs are 1-1 in season-openers under head coach Matt Roberts
- MSU is one of six SEC schools ranked in this week's ITA National Team Ranking
- State has advanced to the NCAA Team Championship the last six seasons
- Nuno Borges national ranking of sixth in the nation is the highest of any Bulldog in singles action since Romain Bogaerts in 2013
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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