Sunday, March 5
Auburn, Ala.
1:00 PM
Mississippi State
at
Auburn
No. 49 Auburn is first up for No. 14 MSU in SEC play.
SEC Play Officially Begins For No. 14 MSU This Sunday At Auburn
March 04, 2017 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – After a great homestand last weekend, the 14th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (7-3) hits the road to open Southeastern Conference play as the Bulldogs face 49th-ranked Auburn (8-5) on Sunday afternoon.
First serve at the Yarbrough Tennis Center is slated for 1 p.m. CT. Live stats and live video will be provided by AuburnTigers.com.
"We've had a great week of practice leading up to Sunday," head coach Matt Roberts said. "Auburn has a good team and it's always tough to play here. We want to get off to a strong start in SEC play and Sunday is the first step in doing that. We're excited for the opportunity to get better and improve and our guys can't wait to get out on the court tomorrow."
Following back-to-back ranked wins last weekend over then No. 22 Tulane and No. 38 NC State, the Bulldogs climbed six spots in the ITA National Rankings to claim the 14th spot. The ranking is the highest for MSU since 2014, the Bulldogs climbed as high as ninth overall that season.
Crucial to the Bulldogs rise in the rankings has been the stellar play of sophomore Nuno Borges, who claimed his first SEC Player of the Week honor this last week after another dominant weekend on the tennis court. The fourth-ranked Bulldog downed two ranked opponents in MSU's wins last week, earning his 11th ranked singles win of the season. Borges is a team-best 19-3 in singles overall for the year.
Fellow sophomores Niclas Braun and Strahinja Rakic have also been big for the Bulldogs in singles play of late as both have won their last three matches in singles action. Rakic is 6-2 in dual matches, while Braun is following closely behind at 5-4.
Sunday's opponent Auburn has won four of its last five matches, outscoring opponents 13-6 during that stretch. The Tigers and Bulldogs have played one common opponent, Tulane, with Auburn losing 5-2 in New Orleans and MSU winning 4-1 in Starkville.
Who To Watch For Auburn
Former SEC Player of the Week Max Hinnisdaels leads the Tigers as the senior has a 7-3 mark in dual-match singles play. Hinnisdaels is ranked 59th in singles and 17th in doubles with partner Huertas del Pino.
Up Next
The Bulldogs return home on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Alcorn State at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. CT. The matches will officially close out the non-conference slate for the Bulldogs. MSU hosts its first SEC opponent two days later on Thursday as Alabama visits the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 3 p.m. CT.
Live Video/Stats
Live video and statistics are available through AuburnTigers.com. For live stats visit here and for live streaming click here.
Additional Notes
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
First serve at the Yarbrough Tennis Center is slated for 1 p.m. CT. Live stats and live video will be provided by AuburnTigers.com.
"We've had a great week of practice leading up to Sunday," head coach Matt Roberts said. "Auburn has a good team and it's always tough to play here. We want to get off to a strong start in SEC play and Sunday is the first step in doing that. We're excited for the opportunity to get better and improve and our guys can't wait to get out on the court tomorrow."
Following back-to-back ranked wins last weekend over then No. 22 Tulane and No. 38 NC State, the Bulldogs climbed six spots in the ITA National Rankings to claim the 14th spot. The ranking is the highest for MSU since 2014, the Bulldogs climbed as high as ninth overall that season.
Crucial to the Bulldogs rise in the rankings has been the stellar play of sophomore Nuno Borges, who claimed his first SEC Player of the Week honor this last week after another dominant weekend on the tennis court. The fourth-ranked Bulldog downed two ranked opponents in MSU's wins last week, earning his 11th ranked singles win of the season. Borges is a team-best 19-3 in singles overall for the year.
Fellow sophomores Niclas Braun and Strahinja Rakic have also been big for the Bulldogs in singles play of late as both have won their last three matches in singles action. Rakic is 6-2 in dual matches, while Braun is following closely behind at 5-4.
Sunday's opponent Auburn has won four of its last five matches, outscoring opponents 13-6 during that stretch. The Tigers and Bulldogs have played one common opponent, Tulane, with Auburn losing 5-2 in New Orleans and MSU winning 4-1 in Starkville.
Who To Watch For Auburn
Former SEC Player of the Week Max Hinnisdaels leads the Tigers as the senior has a 7-3 mark in dual-match singles play. Hinnisdaels is ranked 59th in singles and 17th in doubles with partner Huertas del Pino.
Up Next
The Bulldogs return home on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Alcorn State at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. CT. The matches will officially close out the non-conference slate for the Bulldogs. MSU hosts its first SEC opponent two days later on Thursday as Alabama visits the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre at 3 p.m. CT.
Live Video/Stats
Live video and statistics are available through AuburnTigers.com. For live stats visit here and for live streaming click here.
Additional Notes
- Sunday's match will be the 48th meeting between MSU and Auburn
- The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 27-21
- MSU has won the last three matches in the series
- State has only lost twice to Auburn in the last 12 meetings
- The Bulldogs have not lost in Auburn since 2009
- No. 4 Nuno Borges is undefeated for his career at the No. 1 position
- Borges is 15-1 for his career against ITA Southern Region opponents and is 7-0 this season again region foes
- Strahinja Rakic defeated his first ranked opponent of the spring last weekend
- Rakic has earned two ranked wins in singles play this season
Social Media
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts Michigan State Presser
Saturday, May 03
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts & Niccolo Baroni
Friday, May 02
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts - NCAA Selection Show
Monday, April 28
Mississippi State Men's Tennis vs. Arkansas Recap - 04/07/21
Thursday, April 08