Sunday, April 15
Baton Rouge, La.
12:00 PM
Mississippi State
6
at
0
LSU
MSU's Trevor Foshey went a combined 2-0 Sunday as the Bulldogs closed out the 2018 regular season with a 6-0 win at LSU.
Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics
No. 7 Bulldog Tennis Blanks LSU, 6-0, To Close Out Regular Season
April 15, 2018 | Men's Tennis
BATON ROUGE, La. – Finish strong.
That is what the seventh-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (17-2, 11-1 SEC) did on Sunday afternoon, dominating LSU (9-15, 2-10) from start to finish en route to a 6-0 win at the LSU Tennis Complex in the final match of the 2018 regular season.
The win helped the Bulldogs finish with a program-best record in league play and secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Championship—the highest since the 1993 squad was the top seed. State's only setback in the conference this season was its 5-2 loss at No. 5 Texas A&M Friday night in College Station. The Aggies ended the league slate 12-0.
State also won its third in a row versus LSU, and also for the ninth time in the last 11 meetings with the Tigers.
"This has been a special regular season for this group," said fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts, who moved into fourth place all-time for wins in program history. "These young men have done an amazing job battling through adversity on and off the court and have grown from every challenge they faced this season. We are building a special culture here and we love training, traveling and competing together, which I consider winning in itself. So, for us to finish second in the SEC is a great reward and bonus for this special group. I love working with these young men and we look forward to postseason tournament play. Hail State!"
MSU's 42nd-ranked duo of Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic were the first off the doubles courts on Sunday, making quick work of LSU's Agie Moreno and Rafael Wagner, 6-1, on court 1. The tandem has now won two in a row and five of its last six.
To decide the doubles point, however, would be two very tight matches on courts 2 and 3. At No. 3, Florian Broska and Trevor Foshey held off LSU's Stewart Block and Shane Monroe for a 6-4 win, winning the final two games after Block and Monroe forced a 4-all score. On court 2, MSU's 44th-ranked Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini were ahead 6-5 in a back-and-forth battle with the Tiger duo Julian Saborio and Nikola Samardzic. State is now 12-2 when clinching doubles and has won 13 of its last 15 doubles points.
The Maroon and White got off to a roaring start in singles action, winning all six first sets. Foshey was the first Bulldog off the court, taking a quick 6-1, 6-1 decision against LSU's Block on court 6. Just mere moments later, State's 78th-ranked Rakic made it 3-0 MSU with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory on court 3 against Samardzic. Rakic closed out his regular season winning eight of his final 10 matches.
Niclas Braun then sealed the deal for the Bulldogs with a 6-4, 6-2 win over the Tigers' Saborio on court 4. Broska then made it 5-0 MSU with his second win of the afternoon—a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Moreno on court 5.
State's third-ranked Borges was the final Bulldog to finish on the day, breaking LSU's 91st-ranked Monroe on a deciding point to win 6-4, 6-2 on court 1. The reigning SEC Player of the Year has now won four out of his last five matches and has defeated a team-best 18 ranked foes in 2017-18. MSU's 19th-ranked Oradini's match against Wagner at the No. 2 position was suspended after Borges' win with Oradini up a set.
Next Up For MSU…
With the 2018 regular season officially in the books, the Bulldogs will begin preparations for the 2018 SEC Championship, to be held April 25-29 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. MSU will begin postseason play on Friday, April 27, with opponent and match time to be announced.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
No. 7 Mississippi State 6, LSU 0
LSU Tennis Complex
Baton Rouge, La.
April 15, 2018
Doubles
1. #42 Nuno Borges/Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Agie Moreno/Rafael Wagner (LSU) 6-1
2. #44 Niclas Braun/Giovanni Oradini (MSU) vs. Julian Saborio/Nikola Samardzic (LSU) 6-5 (susp.)
3. Florian Broska/Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Stewart Block/Shane Monroe (LSU) 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3
Singles
1. #3 Nuno Borges (MSU) def. #91 Shane Monroe (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #19 Giovanni Oradini (MSU) vs. Rafael Wagner (LSU) 6-1, 5-6 (susp.)
3. #78 Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Nikola Samardzic (LSU) 6-3, 6-0
4. Niclas Braun (MSU) def. Julian Saborio (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Florian Broska (MSU) def. Agie Moreno (LSU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Stewart Block (LSU) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 3, 4, 5, 1
--HailState.com—
That is what the seventh-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis team (17-2, 11-1 SEC) did on Sunday afternoon, dominating LSU (9-15, 2-10) from start to finish en route to a 6-0 win at the LSU Tennis Complex in the final match of the 2018 regular season.
The win helped the Bulldogs finish with a program-best record in league play and secure the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Championship—the highest since the 1993 squad was the top seed. State's only setback in the conference this season was its 5-2 loss at No. 5 Texas A&M Friday night in College Station. The Aggies ended the league slate 12-0.
State also won its third in a row versus LSU, and also for the ninth time in the last 11 meetings with the Tigers.
"This has been a special regular season for this group," said fourth-year head coach Matt Roberts, who moved into fourth place all-time for wins in program history. "These young men have done an amazing job battling through adversity on and off the court and have grown from every challenge they faced this season. We are building a special culture here and we love training, traveling and competing together, which I consider winning in itself. So, for us to finish second in the SEC is a great reward and bonus for this special group. I love working with these young men and we look forward to postseason tournament play. Hail State!"
MSU's 42nd-ranked duo of Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic were the first off the doubles courts on Sunday, making quick work of LSU's Agie Moreno and Rafael Wagner, 6-1, on court 1. The tandem has now won two in a row and five of its last six.
To decide the doubles point, however, would be two very tight matches on courts 2 and 3. At No. 3, Florian Broska and Trevor Foshey held off LSU's Stewart Block and Shane Monroe for a 6-4 win, winning the final two games after Block and Monroe forced a 4-all score. On court 2, MSU's 44th-ranked Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini were ahead 6-5 in a back-and-forth battle with the Tiger duo Julian Saborio and Nikola Samardzic. State is now 12-2 when clinching doubles and has won 13 of its last 15 doubles points.
The Maroon and White got off to a roaring start in singles action, winning all six first sets. Foshey was the first Bulldog off the court, taking a quick 6-1, 6-1 decision against LSU's Block on court 6. Just mere moments later, State's 78th-ranked Rakic made it 3-0 MSU with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory on court 3 against Samardzic. Rakic closed out his regular season winning eight of his final 10 matches.
Niclas Braun then sealed the deal for the Bulldogs with a 6-4, 6-2 win over the Tigers' Saborio on court 4. Broska then made it 5-0 MSU with his second win of the afternoon—a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Moreno on court 5.
State's third-ranked Borges was the final Bulldog to finish on the day, breaking LSU's 91st-ranked Monroe on a deciding point to win 6-4, 6-2 on court 1. The reigning SEC Player of the Year has now won four out of his last five matches and has defeated a team-best 18 ranked foes in 2017-18. MSU's 19th-ranked Oradini's match against Wagner at the No. 2 position was suspended after Borges' win with Oradini up a set.
Next Up For MSU…
With the 2018 regular season officially in the books, the Bulldogs will begin preparations for the 2018 SEC Championship, to be held April 25-29 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. MSU will begin postseason play on Friday, April 27, with opponent and match time to be announced.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
No. 7 Mississippi State 6, LSU 0
LSU Tennis Complex
Baton Rouge, La.
April 15, 2018
Doubles
1. #42 Nuno Borges/Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Agie Moreno/Rafael Wagner (LSU) 6-1
2. #44 Niclas Braun/Giovanni Oradini (MSU) vs. Julian Saborio/Nikola Samardzic (LSU) 6-5 (susp.)
3. Florian Broska/Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Stewart Block/Shane Monroe (LSU) 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3
Singles
1. #3 Nuno Borges (MSU) def. #91 Shane Monroe (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. #19 Giovanni Oradini (MSU) vs. Rafael Wagner (LSU) 6-1, 5-6 (susp.)
3. #78 Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Nikola Samardzic (LSU) 6-3, 6-0
4. Niclas Braun (MSU) def. Julian Saborio (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Florian Broska (MSU) def. Agie Moreno (LSU) 6-1, 6-3
6. Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Stewart Block (LSU) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 3, 4, 5, 1
--HailState.com—
Players Mentioned
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