Thursday, January 10
Tempe, Ariz.
All Day
Mississippi State
vs
Tempe Collegiate Cup
MSU opens the season ranked third nationally, and will face its first tests of the spring at the Tempe Collegiate Cup in Arizona.
Photo by: Blake Williams/MSU Athletics
Bulldogs Ranked Third, Open Spring Slate At Tempe Collegiate Cup
January 09, 2019 | Men's Tennis
by Caleb Garner, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – A top-5 finish in 2018 has paved way to the Mississippi State men's tennis team matching its highest ranking in program history, with the Bulldogs opening the 2019 campaign ranked third nationally in the 2019 Oracle ITA preseason team rankings, released Wednesday.
The No. 3 billing is the highest MSU has been ranked since 1999. Before then, the Maroon and White made 14 total appearances in that spot from 1994 to 1999.
"We're very excited about being ranked third in the nation," fifth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "It's a testament to the guys' hard work and how they competed this fall and last spring, especially our three lower-lineup guys who are all ranked right now. We still have a lot of work to do. A ranking is just a number, but it feels good to know that we're viewed as a top team. We're excited about a great season ahead and seeing a lot of great crowds at A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre."
It marks the sixth time in seven years State will open up a season ranked among the nation's Top 25. In addition, seven Southeastern Conference teams grace Wednesday's Top 25, which leads the nation.
In the ITA's individual rankings released in November, Nuno Borges leads four ranked Bulldogs in singles at 11th nationally. Niclas Braun (67th), Florian Broska (78th) and Trevor Foshey (93rd) all notched career-best rankings after solid fall campaigns. In doubles, Braun and Giovanni Oradini lead the way at No. 7 in the country, while Borges and Strahinja Rakic, fresh off a trip to the NCAA Doubles Quarterfinals, make up the 36th-ranked duo.
The next team rankings will be released Jan. 23, while the first individual rankings of the spring will be unveiled Feb. 6.
State is set to open up the 2019 spring campaign this weekend with individual competition at the Tempe Collegiate Cup, hosted by Arizona State.
The three-day event, held at the Kiwanis Tennis Center in Tempe, Arizona, features players from 2018 NCAA Championship participants Illinois, TCU and host Arizona State along with the Bulldogs. Illinois and TCU faced off in the 2018 NCAA Round of 16 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the Fighting Illini defeated the Horned Frogs to advance to the quarterfinals.
State will open up Thursday against players from the Fighting Illini. On Friday, the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs will match up. To conclude the weekend, Bulldog players are set to take on players from host Arizona State. All matches are set to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
The round-robin event will open with doubles matches to be followed by singles matches each day.
Know The Foes: Tempe Collegiate Cup
Arizona State finished the 2018 season 14-11 overall and reached the NCAA Championship, dropping a 4-0 decision to Baylor in the first round. The Sun Devils, ranked preseason No. 24 as a team, return five of their singles starters from last season, while bringing in a pair of transfers in Nathan Ponwith (Georgia) and Justin Roberts (South Florida).
Illinois enters the 2019 campaign ranked 16th nationally as a team. The Fighting Illini boasts five ranked singles players in Alex Brown (10th), Aleks Kovacevic (44th), Keenan Mayo (71st), Noe Khlif (90th) and Zeke Clark (92nd). On the doubles side, Khlif pairs up with Gui Gomes to form the nation's 32nd-ranked duo.
TCU, opening the season ranked 14th in the preseason team rankings, rounds out the four-team field. Four Horned Frogs are listed in the national singles rankings—Alex Rybakov (14th), Bertus Kruger (65th), Eduardo Roldan (69th) and Sergi Fontcuberta (123rd).
Next Up For MSU …
After returning from Arizona, the Bulldogs will prepare to open the 2019 dual match slate by hosting the 2019 ITA Kick-Off Weekend, one of college tennis' top events of the year, January 26-27 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. MSU will open up against first-time opponent Wichita State at approximately 1 p.m. Saturday, the 26th, before taking on either Arizona or UNC Wilmington Sunday.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
STARKVILLE – A top-5 finish in 2018 has paved way to the Mississippi State men's tennis team matching its highest ranking in program history, with the Bulldogs opening the 2019 campaign ranked third nationally in the 2019 Oracle ITA preseason team rankings, released Wednesday.
The No. 3 billing is the highest MSU has been ranked since 1999. Before then, the Maroon and White made 14 total appearances in that spot from 1994 to 1999.
"We're very excited about being ranked third in the nation," fifth-year head coach Matt Roberts said. "It's a testament to the guys' hard work and how they competed this fall and last spring, especially our three lower-lineup guys who are all ranked right now. We still have a lot of work to do. A ranking is just a number, but it feels good to know that we're viewed as a top team. We're excited about a great season ahead and seeing a lot of great crowds at A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre."
It marks the sixth time in seven years State will open up a season ranked among the nation's Top 25. In addition, seven Southeastern Conference teams grace Wednesday's Top 25, which leads the nation.
In the ITA's individual rankings released in November, Nuno Borges leads four ranked Bulldogs in singles at 11th nationally. Niclas Braun (67th), Florian Broska (78th) and Trevor Foshey (93rd) all notched career-best rankings after solid fall campaigns. In doubles, Braun and Giovanni Oradini lead the way at No. 7 in the country, while Borges and Strahinja Rakic, fresh off a trip to the NCAA Doubles Quarterfinals, make up the 36th-ranked duo.
The next team rankings will be released Jan. 23, while the first individual rankings of the spring will be unveiled Feb. 6.
State is set to open up the 2019 spring campaign this weekend with individual competition at the Tempe Collegiate Cup, hosted by Arizona State.
The three-day event, held at the Kiwanis Tennis Center in Tempe, Arizona, features players from 2018 NCAA Championship participants Illinois, TCU and host Arizona State along with the Bulldogs. Illinois and TCU faced off in the 2018 NCAA Round of 16 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where the Fighting Illini defeated the Horned Frogs to advance to the quarterfinals.
State will open up Thursday against players from the Fighting Illini. On Friday, the Bulldogs and Horned Frogs will match up. To conclude the weekend, Bulldog players are set to take on players from host Arizona State. All matches are set to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
The round-robin event will open with doubles matches to be followed by singles matches each day.
Know The Foes: Tempe Collegiate Cup
Arizona State finished the 2018 season 14-11 overall and reached the NCAA Championship, dropping a 4-0 decision to Baylor in the first round. The Sun Devils, ranked preseason No. 24 as a team, return five of their singles starters from last season, while bringing in a pair of transfers in Nathan Ponwith (Georgia) and Justin Roberts (South Florida).
Illinois enters the 2019 campaign ranked 16th nationally as a team. The Fighting Illini boasts five ranked singles players in Alex Brown (10th), Aleks Kovacevic (44th), Keenan Mayo (71st), Noe Khlif (90th) and Zeke Clark (92nd). On the doubles side, Khlif pairs up with Gui Gomes to form the nation's 32nd-ranked duo.
TCU, opening the season ranked 14th in the preseason team rankings, rounds out the four-team field. Four Horned Frogs are listed in the national singles rankings—Alex Rybakov (14th), Bertus Kruger (65th), Eduardo Roldan (69th) and Sergi Fontcuberta (123rd).
Next Up For MSU …
After returning from Arizona, the Bulldogs will prepare to open the 2019 dual match slate by hosting the 2019 ITA Kick-Off Weekend, one of college tennis' top events of the year, January 26-27 at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. MSU will open up against first-time opponent Wichita State at approximately 1 p.m. Saturday, the 26th, before taking on either Arizona or UNC Wilmington Sunday.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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