Sunday, February 11
Starkville
11:00 AM
Mississippi State
vs
Pepperdine
No. 14 MSU wraps up its final non-conference home stand on Sunday against Pepperdine
No. 14 MSU Men's Tennis To Host Pepperdine Sunday At 11 a.m.
February 10, 2018 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. – In its final home match before beginning Southeastern Conference play in March, the 14th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (5-1) hosts Pepperdine (1-5) at 11 a.m. Sunday (changed from Noon) at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
Sunday's match is the second of a two-match home stand before the Bulldogs hit the road again later in the month.
"Pepperdine always has a solid team with very good players and they're really well-coached," fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We didn't get to play them last year at their place due to rain, so we're looking forward to getting to play them here. Pepperdine is a storied program that contends for its conference title year-in and year-out, so we respect them a lot. We're looking forward to another great day of tennis at Pitts in front of our awesome home crowd."
Last Time Out For MSU…
In their last match on Friday, the Bulldogs dominated from start to finish against San Diego State, beginning on the doubles courts en route to a 6-1 victory against the Aztecs. State mixed up the lineup for the first time in 2018, and the match began with MSU taking the doubles point. On court 2, Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini teamed up to take a 6-2 victory to give the Bulldogs a quick advantage. Shortly thereafter, Florian Broska and Trevor Foshey paired up to clinch the point for State, winning 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic started on court 1 for MSU, and led 5-4 before their match was suspended.
In singles action, State kept up the momentum, grabbing first set victories on five of the six courts. The second-ranked Borges earned a quick 6-0, 6-1 win on court 1, followed by No. 60 Rakic taking a 6-3, 6-2 decision on court 3. No. 13 Oradini sealed the deal for State on court 2 by winning 6-2, 6-1. Broska won at the No. 4 position by a 6-1, 6-3 mark, while Foshey claimed a 6-0, 6-4 triumph on court 5. SDSU's lone point came when Aztec David Hough won a tightly-contested 6-4, 6-4 decision against State's Hunter Harrison, who was making his MSU dual match debut.
MSU In The ITA Rankings…
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its first individual rankings of 2018 Wednesday, with five Bulldogs making the cut. Borges led the way, being ranked second nationally in singles (matching his career high), followed by Oradini, who climbed 16 spots all the way up to a career-best No. 13. Rakic rounded out the ranked Bulldogs in singles at 60th. In doubles, Braun and Foshey checked in at No. 51.
About Pepperdine…
Pepperdine comes to Starkville having lost three consecutive matches after dropping a 6-1 decision at Alabama on Friday. The Waves are led by Wake Forest transfer Dennis Uspensky, who spent time in the ITA Top 100 for the first month of the season. Uspensky is tied for the team lead with five wins in 2017-18, including a 2-4 ledger at the No. 1 position this spring. Dane Esses and Brian Berdusco team up to lead the Waves with a 2-1 record in doubles play from the No. 2 spot.
What To Note As MSU Hosts Pepperdine…
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.
Sunday's Promotions
Next Up For MSU…
State will next hit the road for a top-25 battle with No. 21 Tulane on Feb. 23. Match time in New Orleans is set for 1 p.m. After returning from the Crescent City, MSU will host Auburn at 1 p.m. on March 4 for its SEC opener.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Sunday's match is the second of a two-match home stand before the Bulldogs hit the road again later in the month.
"Pepperdine always has a solid team with very good players and they're really well-coached," fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "We didn't get to play them last year at their place due to rain, so we're looking forward to getting to play them here. Pepperdine is a storied program that contends for its conference title year-in and year-out, so we respect them a lot. We're looking forward to another great day of tennis at Pitts in front of our awesome home crowd."
Last Time Out For MSU…
In their last match on Friday, the Bulldogs dominated from start to finish against San Diego State, beginning on the doubles courts en route to a 6-1 victory against the Aztecs. State mixed up the lineup for the first time in 2018, and the match began with MSU taking the doubles point. On court 2, Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini teamed up to take a 6-2 victory to give the Bulldogs a quick advantage. Shortly thereafter, Florian Broska and Trevor Foshey paired up to clinch the point for State, winning 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic started on court 1 for MSU, and led 5-4 before their match was suspended.
In singles action, State kept up the momentum, grabbing first set victories on five of the six courts. The second-ranked Borges earned a quick 6-0, 6-1 win on court 1, followed by No. 60 Rakic taking a 6-3, 6-2 decision on court 3. No. 13 Oradini sealed the deal for State on court 2 by winning 6-2, 6-1. Broska won at the No. 4 position by a 6-1, 6-3 mark, while Foshey claimed a 6-0, 6-4 triumph on court 5. SDSU's lone point came when Aztec David Hough won a tightly-contested 6-4, 6-4 decision against State's Hunter Harrison, who was making his MSU dual match debut.
MSU In The ITA Rankings…
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association released its first individual rankings of 2018 Wednesday, with five Bulldogs making the cut. Borges led the way, being ranked second nationally in singles (matching his career high), followed by Oradini, who climbed 16 spots all the way up to a career-best No. 13. Rakic rounded out the ranked Bulldogs in singles at 60th. In doubles, Braun and Foshey checked in at No. 51.
About Pepperdine…
Pepperdine comes to Starkville having lost three consecutive matches after dropping a 6-1 decision at Alabama on Friday. The Waves are led by Wake Forest transfer Dennis Uspensky, who spent time in the ITA Top 100 for the first month of the season. Uspensky is tied for the team lead with five wins in 2017-18, including a 2-4 ledger at the No. 1 position this spring. Dane Esses and Brian Berdusco team up to lead the Waves with a 2-1 record in doubles play from the No. 2 spot.
What To Note As MSU Hosts Pepperdine…
- MSU is in its 94th season of tennis, with Matt Roberts in his fourth season at the helm.
- State was tied for 14th in Wednesday's ITA team rankings, marking 36 consecutive weeks the Bulldogs have been ranked in the top 25.
- The series between MSU and Pepperdine stretches back to 1984, with the Bulldogs holding a 3-2 lead in the series. The teams have never met in Starkville.
- The last time the Bulldogs and Waves met, Pepperdine took a 4-1 victory in the first round of the 2003 NCAA Team Championship in Nashville, Tenn.
- Last season, State was set to play its first-ever match against Pepperdine in Malibu, but rain forced the match to be canceled.
- The Bulldogs have won their last 18 non-conference matches at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
- Under Roberts, State is 22-1 in non-conference matches at home.
- Oradini leads MSU with a 18-7 overall record, including 10 wins against ranked foes.
- Borges, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, comes into the match having not dropped a match since Oct. 6—a 12-match streak.
- By winning on Friday, Borges won his 100th overall match of his MSU career (singles and doubles combined).
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.
Sunday's Promotions
- Tennis ball toss for a free TV between doubles and singles
- Free admission
- Program covers
- Sunday S'mores
- Sorority Host: Pi Beta Phi
Next Up For MSU…
State will next hit the road for a top-25 battle with No. 21 Tulane on Feb. 23. Match time in New Orleans is set for 1 p.m. After returning from the Crescent City, MSU will host Auburn at 1 p.m. on March 4 for its SEC opener.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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