Friday, January 19
Starkville
1:00 PM
Mississippi State
vs
South Florida
State's 54th-ranked Strahinja Rakic and the No. 14 Bulldogs retake the court Friday vs. South Florida
No. 14 MSU Men’s Tennis Set To Host South Florida Friday
January 18, 2018 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – With the 2018 season now in full swing, the 14th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (1-0) continues its three-match home stand Friday against South Florida, which will be opening its 2018 campaign.
First serve against the Bulls is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Admission to the match and all home regular-season MSU tennis matches is free.
"Our guys are really looking forward to this match," fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We played at South Florida last year and they beat us, so our guys are eager to redeem themselves. USF is a great program that is well-coached and we respect them a lot. We're looking forward to a really good match against a good top-40 team on Friday."
Last Time Out For MSU…
The last time the Bulldogs took the court, they blanked UAB in a season-opening victory at Pitts on Jan. 14. In doubles, State's 49th-ranked tandem of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey rallied to clinch the point after the Bulldogs' No. 41 Florian Broska and Giovanni Oradini dropped a 6-2 decision on court 3. Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic won their match 7-5 before Braun and Foshey took a 7-5 decision for the doubles clincher.
In singles action, State rode the momentum from doubles on its way to winning all six courts, led by the third-ranked Borges at the top spot. No. 29 Oradini, No. 54 Rakic, No. 118 Braun, Broska and Foshey all registered singles victories for the Bulldogs as well.
What To Note As MSU Faces South Florida…
Friday's Promotions
Live Video/Stats
For all home matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, live video and statistics can be found at www.hailstate.com/livemt.
About the Bulls…
USF is opening its season against the Bulldogs, with head coach Ashley Fisher in his second season at the helm. The Bulls finished the 2017 campaign 18-9 and ranked 23rd nationally after reaching the second round of the NCAA Team Championship.
The Bulls are led by senior Peter Bertran, who led the team with an 18-5 record last season and spent most of the season ranked.
Next Up For MSU…
The Bulldogs conclude their three-match home stand Sunday, Jan. 21, by hosting Miami at Noon before hitting the road to Stillwater, Okla., for the ITA Kickoff Weekend to close out January action.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
First serve against the Bulls is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Admission to the match and all home regular-season MSU tennis matches is free.
"Our guys are really looking forward to this match," fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We played at South Florida last year and they beat us, so our guys are eager to redeem themselves. USF is a great program that is well-coached and we respect them a lot. We're looking forward to a really good match against a good top-40 team on Friday."
Last Time Out For MSU…
The last time the Bulldogs took the court, they blanked UAB in a season-opening victory at Pitts on Jan. 14. In doubles, State's 49th-ranked tandem of Niclas Braun and Trevor Foshey rallied to clinch the point after the Bulldogs' No. 41 Florian Broska and Giovanni Oradini dropped a 6-2 decision on court 3. Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic won their match 7-5 before Braun and Foshey took a 7-5 decision for the doubles clincher.
In singles action, State rode the momentum from doubles on its way to winning all six courts, led by the third-ranked Borges at the top spot. No. 29 Oradini, No. 54 Rakic, No. 118 Braun, Broska and Foshey all registered singles victories for the Bulldogs as well.
What To Note As MSU Faces South Florida…
- MSU is in its 94th season of tennis, with Matt Roberts in his fourth season at the helm.
- MSU holds a 3-2 lead in the series against South Florida, with a 1-0 advantage in Starkville.
- The lone meeting in Starkville was in 1973, with the Bulldogs emerging victorious with a 7-2 win.
- The Bulldogs last defeated the Bulls in 2010, taking a 4-3 decision in Tampa.
- The Bulldogs have won their last 15 non-conference matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
- Under Roberts, State is 19-1 in non-conference matches at home.
- USF is opening its 2018 slate against the Bulldogs.
Friday's Promotions
- Tennis ball toss for a free TV between doubles and singles
Live Video/Stats
For all home matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, live video and statistics can be found at www.hailstate.com/livemt.
About the Bulls…
USF is opening its season against the Bulldogs, with head coach Ashley Fisher in his second season at the helm. The Bulls finished the 2017 campaign 18-9 and ranked 23rd nationally after reaching the second round of the NCAA Team Championship.
The Bulls are led by senior Peter Bertran, who led the team with an 18-5 record last season and spent most of the season ranked.
Next Up For MSU…
The Bulldogs conclude their three-match home stand Sunday, Jan. 21, by hosting Miami at Noon before hitting the road to Stillwater, Okla., for the ITA Kickoff Weekend to close out January action.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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