Bulldogs Post Strong Showing On Day One Of Tempe Collegiate Cup

Thursday, January 10

Tempe, Ariz.

All Day

Mississippi State

Tempe Collegiate Cup

MSU got off to a strong start to the new year, notching nine total wins on the first day of the Tempe Collegiate Cup.

Bulldogs Post Strong Showing On Day One Of Tempe Collegiate Cup

January 10, 2019 | Men's Tennis

by Caleb Garner, Graduate Assistant/Communications

TEMPE, Ariz. – In their first action of 2019, members of the Mississippi State men's tennis team got off to a strong start to the year on Thursday, totaling nine victories on day one of the Tempe Collegiate Cup.

The Bulldogs got off to a roaring start in doubles action, taking all four matches on the day—three against Fighting Illini opponents and one against a duo from TCU. In singles, State notched five wins against strong competition from opponents from Illinois.

State's 36^th-ranked Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic picked up where they left off from last season's All-American performance, downing Illinois' Caleb Chakravarthi and Gui Gomes 6-4. MSU's seventh-ranked Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini picked up a quick 6-2 triumph against the Fighting Illini's Zeke Clark and Fletcher Scott.

Trevor Foshey and Gregor Ramskogler improved to a perfect 5-0 in 2018-19 with a thrilling 7-6(9) tiebreak win against Illinois' Vuk Budic and Siphosothando Montsi. Facing TCU's Luc Fomba and Sander Jong, Florian Broska and Stedman Strickland notched a 6-4 victory to give MSU a 4-0 mark in doubles action to open the spring season.

In singles action, the Bulldogs totaled a 5-2 mark on Thursday against Illinois opponents, with Borges, Oradini, Braun, Broska and Foshey posting victories.

The two-time singles All-American Borges downed Chakravarthi 6-4, 6-2, while Oradini earned a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Montsi. MSU's 67^th-ranked Braun continued his strong play from the fall with a strong 6-3, 6-2 win over No. 90 Noe Khlif.

MSU's 78^th-ranked Broska and 93^rd-ranked Foshey rounded out MSU victories on the first day, each posting straight-set wins against Fletcher Scott and Gui Gomes.

Illinois' 92^nd-ranked Clark and Budic notched the only two wins for the Fighting Illini on the day, winning tough matches against Rakic (7-6(9), 6-2) and Ramskogler (6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3).

Next Up For MSU …

The Bulldogs look ahead to day two of the Tempe Collegiate Cup, where they will take on more opponents from 14^th-ranked TCU.

For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

MSU at the 2019 Tempe Collegiate Classic
January 10, 2019 – Tempe, Arizona (Kiwanis Tennis Center)

Doubles
#36 Nuno Borges/Strahinja Rakic (MSU) def. Caleb Chakravarthi/Gui Gomes (ILL) 6-4; #7 Niclas Braun/Giovanni Oradini (MSU) def. Zeke Clark/Fletcher Scott (ILL) 6-2; Trevor Foshey/Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) def. Vuk Budic/Siphosothando Montsi (ILL) 7-6(9); Florian Broska/Stedman Strickland (MSU) def. Luc Fomba/Sander Jong (TCU) 6-4

Singles
#11 Nuno Borges (MSU) def. Caleb Chakravarthi (ILL) 6-4, 6-2; Giovanni Oradini (MSU) def. Siphosothando Montsi (ILL) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; #92 Zeke Clark (ILL) def. Strahinja Rakic (MSU) 7-6(9), 6-2; #67 Niclas Braun (MSU) def. #90 Noe Khlif (ILL) 6-3, 6-2; #78 Florian Broska (MSU) def. Fletcher Scott (ILL) 6-4, 6-2; #93 Trevor Foshey (MSU) def. Gui Gomes (ILL) 6-2, 6-4; Vuk Budic (ILL) def. Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3