Italian lefty Giovanni Oradini earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after a stellar weekend on the court.
Oradini Claims SEC Freshman of the Week Honor
March 22, 2017 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After turning in back-to-back singles wins to cap a stellar weekend, tennis standout Giovanni Oradini was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Oradini moved his singles record to 10-1 over the weekend, while holding on to his perfect 4-0 mark in SEC play for the 15th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (13-3, 4-0 SEC).
"It's a great honor to be named the SEC Freshman of the Week," Oradini said. "I am very appreciative of everyone who has helped me along the way since I've came to MSU in January. The coaching staff has been amazing and has helped me so much with my game. This award is really a team honor, because without the coaching staff and my great teammates pushing me everyday it wouldn't be possible. The award is a big motivation for me and I can't wait to get back out on the court."
Wednesday's SEC Freshman of the Week honor was the first for Oradini and the first for the Bulldogs since Nuno Borges won the award on March 30 of 2016.
"Giovanni is well deserving of this award and it shows he is on the right path toward growth and development," head coach Matt Roberts said. "Giovanni has grown substantially since he's arrived in January. He's learned how to stay engaged for the duration of practice and how to manage his time properly off the court. I'm proud for him and we knew this honor was only a matter of time for Giovanni."
Over the weekend, Oradini downed Vanderbilt's Panu Virtanen and Kentucky's Enzo Wallart to lead the Bulldogs in back-to-back ranked wins on the road. The freshman edged out Virtanen after winning consecutive tiebreakers to put MSU up 3-1, while his win over Wallart clinched State's 4-3 victory over the 17th-ranked Wildcats.
"During his matches, Giovanni has proved he plays his best tennis when it matters the most," Roberts said. "That is a tremendous gift to have, especially as a freshman."
Oradini has clinched three matches for the Bulldogs this season, while winning all three tiebreaker sets this season and owning a 5-1 record in three-set matches.
Up Next
The Bulldogs travel to Arkansas on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, before coming back home to face No. 49 Ole Miss on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Oradini moved his singles record to 10-1 over the weekend, while holding on to his perfect 4-0 mark in SEC play for the 15th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (13-3, 4-0 SEC).
"It's a great honor to be named the SEC Freshman of the Week," Oradini said. "I am very appreciative of everyone who has helped me along the way since I've came to MSU in January. The coaching staff has been amazing and has helped me so much with my game. This award is really a team honor, because without the coaching staff and my great teammates pushing me everyday it wouldn't be possible. The award is a big motivation for me and I can't wait to get back out on the court."
Wednesday's SEC Freshman of the Week honor was the first for Oradini and the first for the Bulldogs since Nuno Borges won the award on March 30 of 2016.
"Giovanni is well deserving of this award and it shows he is on the right path toward growth and development," head coach Matt Roberts said. "Giovanni has grown substantially since he's arrived in January. He's learned how to stay engaged for the duration of practice and how to manage his time properly off the court. I'm proud for him and we knew this honor was only a matter of time for Giovanni."
Over the weekend, Oradini downed Vanderbilt's Panu Virtanen and Kentucky's Enzo Wallart to lead the Bulldogs in back-to-back ranked wins on the road. The freshman edged out Virtanen after winning consecutive tiebreakers to put MSU up 3-1, while his win over Wallart clinched State's 4-3 victory over the 17th-ranked Wildcats.
"During his matches, Giovanni has proved he plays his best tennis when it matters the most," Roberts said. "That is a tremendous gift to have, especially as a freshman."
Oradini has clinched three matches for the Bulldogs this season, while winning all three tiebreaker sets this season and owning a 5-1 record in three-set matches.
Up Next
The Bulldogs travel to Arkansas on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT, before coming back home to face No. 49 Ole Miss on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
Additional Notes
- Giovanni Oradini is tied for the team-lead in dual-match victories with 10
- The freshman has only lost one singles match this season
- In singles play, Oradini is undefeated in home matches (3-0), road matches (5-0) and against ITA Southern Region foes (3-0)
- Oradini leads the team in singles win percentage at .910
- The freshman is undefeated at the No. 3 (1-0) and No. 5 (5-0) positions in singles play
- The Bulldogs have won eight weekly awards under Roberts since 2015
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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