Sunday, November 5
Indian Wells, Calif.
All Day
Mississippi State
vs
Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
MSU's Nuno Borges captured State's first collegiate major championship since 1996
Photo by: Intercollegiate Tennis Association
MSU’s Nuno Borges Captures Singles Crown At Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
November 05, 2017 | Men's Tennis
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Nuno Borges capped off his incredible run at the inaugural Oracle ITA National Fall Championships with one of the biggest victories in Mississippi State men's tennis history Sunday.
The top-seeded MSU junior All-American, ranked second nationally, took down third-ranked and third-seeded Petros Chrysochos of Wake Forest 7-5, 6-3 in what was a back-and-forth affair the entire match. Borges broke Chrysochos at 6-5 to earn the first set and then rode his momentum to a commanding 4-1 lead in the second set that ultimately led to his victory.
"He (Chrysochos) was playing unbelievable every single game," Borges said. "I thought I was really close to getting a break and then he would step up every time. I've put a lot of work in. We all work very hard – the whole team - and obviously support each other very well and that makes a difference in the long term. I'm very proud of this and it gives me a lot of confidence."
Chrysochos ended his day by taking home the tournament's doubles championship.
"I want to give Petros a lot of credit for making it tough on Nuno today," MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. "We respect him so much and he played great. Nuno found a way to get a break in the first set and Petros would come back with some really great tennis. I'm proud of how Nuno stuck to the game plan while focusing on his long-term development throughout the match and the entire tournament."
All six of Borges' wins in the tournament came in straight-set fashion against ranked opposition, closing out a dominant performance on the week by the 2017 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.
With the win, Borges became the first Bulldog to win a major collegiate event since three-time All-American and 1997 ITA National Player of the Year Thomas Dupre in 1996. Dupre won both the ITA National Clay Court Championships and the ITA All-American Championships back-to-back that fall.
In the title match of the tournament's consolation draw Sunday, Bulldog Giovanni Oradini's exciting run came to a close, as the sophomore dropped a hard-fought 6-4, 6-2 decision to Michigan's Alex Knight, who is ranked 51st nationally. The match ended a consolation run in which the MSU lefty earned victories against three ranked foes, giving him 10 such wins during an incredible fall campaign.
"I'm really proud of how Giovanni bounced back after dropping his first match," Roberts said. "We talked about focusing on his long-term development before consolation started. His mental toughness really grew during each match. Today, he faced a really good opponent who tested him and played some great tennis, but we are pleased with how Giovanni built his future this week."
"I want to thank Oracle and the ITA for putting together such a first-class event for our student-athletes to develop their games at and represent their universities," Roberts added. "This was such a special event that gave them a platform to grow and learn how to handle tough moments under the watchful eyes of their coach."
Mississippi State's Collegiate Major Champions
Singles
1992: Daniel Courcol, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1992: Daniel Courcol, ITA All-American Championships
1993: Daniel Courcol, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1996: Thomas Dupre, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1996: Thomas Dupre, ITA All-American Championships
2017: Nuno Borges, Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
Doubles
1992: Daniel Courcol/Laurent Miquelard, ITA All-American Championships
1993: Daniel Courcol/Laurent Miquelard, ITA National Indoor Championships
1994: Laurent Miquelard/Joc Simmons, NCAA Championships
Next Up For MSU…
The Bulldogs will test their skills on the USTA Futures circuit in Pensacola, Fla., Nov. 10-19 to close out the fall slate. Borges will begin in the tournament's main draw, while the rest of the squad will compete in the qualifying draw. After Pensacola, State will turn its attention to a challenging spring schedule, which opens on Jan. 14 at home against UAB.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
MSU at the 2017 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
November 5, 2017 – Indian Wells, Calif. (Indian Wells Tennis Garden)
Main Draw Singles
Finals – #2 Nuno Borges (MSU) [1] def. #3 Petros Chrysochos (Wake Forest) [3] 7-5, 6-3
Main Draw Singles Consolation
Finals – #51 Alex Knight (Michigan) def. Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
ITA National rankings precede player names; tournament seeding in brackets
The top-seeded MSU junior All-American, ranked second nationally, took down third-ranked and third-seeded Petros Chrysochos of Wake Forest 7-5, 6-3 in what was a back-and-forth affair the entire match. Borges broke Chrysochos at 6-5 to earn the first set and then rode his momentum to a commanding 4-1 lead in the second set that ultimately led to his victory.
"He (Chrysochos) was playing unbelievable every single game," Borges said. "I thought I was really close to getting a break and then he would step up every time. I've put a lot of work in. We all work very hard – the whole team - and obviously support each other very well and that makes a difference in the long term. I'm very proud of this and it gives me a lot of confidence."
Chrysochos ended his day by taking home the tournament's doubles championship.
"I want to give Petros a lot of credit for making it tough on Nuno today," MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. "We respect him so much and he played great. Nuno found a way to get a break in the first set and Petros would come back with some really great tennis. I'm proud of how Nuno stuck to the game plan while focusing on his long-term development throughout the match and the entire tournament."
All six of Borges' wins in the tournament came in straight-set fashion against ranked opposition, closing out a dominant performance on the week by the 2017 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.
With the win, Borges became the first Bulldog to win a major collegiate event since three-time All-American and 1997 ITA National Player of the Year Thomas Dupre in 1996. Dupre won both the ITA National Clay Court Championships and the ITA All-American Championships back-to-back that fall.
In the title match of the tournament's consolation draw Sunday, Bulldog Giovanni Oradini's exciting run came to a close, as the sophomore dropped a hard-fought 6-4, 6-2 decision to Michigan's Alex Knight, who is ranked 51st nationally. The match ended a consolation run in which the MSU lefty earned victories against three ranked foes, giving him 10 such wins during an incredible fall campaign.
"I'm really proud of how Giovanni bounced back after dropping his first match," Roberts said. "We talked about focusing on his long-term development before consolation started. His mental toughness really grew during each match. Today, he faced a really good opponent who tested him and played some great tennis, but we are pleased with how Giovanni built his future this week."
"I want to thank Oracle and the ITA for putting together such a first-class event for our student-athletes to develop their games at and represent their universities," Roberts added. "This was such a special event that gave them a platform to grow and learn how to handle tough moments under the watchful eyes of their coach."
Mississippi State's Collegiate Major Champions
Singles
1992: Daniel Courcol, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1992: Daniel Courcol, ITA All-American Championships
1993: Daniel Courcol, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1996: Thomas Dupre, ITA National Clay Court Championships
1996: Thomas Dupre, ITA All-American Championships
2017: Nuno Borges, Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
Doubles
1992: Daniel Courcol/Laurent Miquelard, ITA All-American Championships
1993: Daniel Courcol/Laurent Miquelard, ITA National Indoor Championships
1994: Laurent Miquelard/Joc Simmons, NCAA Championships
Next Up For MSU…
The Bulldogs will test their skills on the USTA Futures circuit in Pensacola, Fla., Nov. 10-19 to close out the fall slate. Borges will begin in the tournament's main draw, while the rest of the squad will compete in the qualifying draw. After Pensacola, State will turn its attention to a challenging spring schedule, which opens on Jan. 14 at home against UAB.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
MSU at the 2017 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
November 5, 2017 – Indian Wells, Calif. (Indian Wells Tennis Garden)
Main Draw Singles
Finals – #2 Nuno Borges (MSU) [1] def. #3 Petros Chrysochos (Wake Forest) [3] 7-5, 6-3
Main Draw Singles Consolation
Finals – #51 Alex Knight (Michigan) def. Giovanni Oradini (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
ITA National rankings precede player names; tournament seeding in brackets
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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