Rakic, Oradini Share ITA Regional Singles Title; Braun/Foshey Into Doubles Final

Monday, October 23

Baton Rouge, La.

All Day

Mississippi State

ITA Southern Regional Championships

Giovanni Oradini & Strahinja Rakic - 2017 ITA Southern Regional Singles Co-Champions

Bulldogs Giovanni Oradini (l) & Strahinja Rakic share the 2017 ITA Southern Regional singles title. (Steve Franz/LSU Athletics)

Rakic, Oradini Share ITA Regional Singles Title; Braun/Foshey Into Doubles Final

October 23, 2017 | Men's Tennis

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sunday's success carried over into Monday, as the Mississippi State men's tennis team captured the singles title at the ITA Southern Regional Championships at the LSU Tennis Complex. Bulldogs Giovanni Oradini and Strahinja Rakic were declared co-champions after both posted big wins to advance to the title match.

"Our goal coming into this weekend was to build ourselves and walk away more confident in our tennis," MSU Coach Matt Roberts said. "These young men rose to the challenge this weekend and built their positive view of themselves. We look forward to one more challenge tomorrow and will compete at a high level as we have been doing each day."

Oradini picked up one of the biggest wins of his young career, downing Tulane's 13th-ranked and top-seeded Constantin Schmitz in a three-set battle - 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 - to reach the singles main draw final. In Oradini's final set, he was down 3-4 at the break and won the final three games to take the victory. Rakic also won his semifinal bout, defeating No. 77 Ewan Moore of Tulane in a 6-3, 6-4 decision to set up an all-Bulldog battle in the finals. The junior rallied from a 4-1 deficit to take the second set and the match.

However, Oradini and Rakic decided to be declared co-champions and share the title. By being singles finalists in the ITA Regional Championships, they automatically advance to the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships in Indian Wells, Calif., Nov. 1-5.

"Both Gio and Strale were down a break in each final set they won," Roberts said. "They stepped up and made that decision to push themselves every point. They will build on these moments and I'm very proud of how they are building their mental game."

State's seventh-ranked doubles tandem of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey will also have a chance to punch their ticket to Indian Wells after notching a 6-3, 6-1 win against teammates Florian Broska and Oradini in Monday's semifinals.

Braun and Foshey will square off against Ole Miss' pair of Zvonimir Babic and Filip Kraljevic at 10 a.m. CT Tuesday morning to decide who will earn the automatic qualifier spot at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships.

MSU at the 2017 ITA Southern Regional Championships
October 23, 2017 – Baton Rouge, La. (LSU Tennis Complex)

Main Draw Singles
Semifinals – Giovanni Oradini (MSU) [5] def. #13 Constantin Schmitz (Tulane) [1] 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; #67 Strahinja Rakic (MSU) [2] def. #77 Ewan Moore (Tulane) [4] 6-3, 6-4

Main Draw Doubles
Semifinals – #7 Niclas Braun/Trevor Foshey (MSU) [1] def. Florian Broska/Giovanni Oradini (MSU) [4] 6-3, 6-1

ITA National rankings precede player names; tournament seeding in brackets

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