Nuno Borges earned the top singles seed in the upcoming NCAA Singles Championship, becoming just the third Bulldog to do so.
Photo by: Trevor Birchett/MSU Athletics
Four Bulldogs Selected To NCAA Singles/Doubles Championships; Borges Top Singles Seed
April 30, 2019 | Men's Tennis
by Caleb Garner, Graduate Assistant/Communications
STARKVILLE – Just a day after being named a host site for the NCAA Team Championship, the Mississippi State men's tennis team got more good news Tuesday, with four Bulldogs being selected to the 2019 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, to be held May 20-25 in Orlando, Florida, at the USTA National Campus.
Senior All-American Nuno Borges qualified for the singles championship as the No. 1 overall seed, while a pair of doubles tandems grace the qualifier list that was announced by the NCAA on Tuesday. This year marks the first time since 1968 that more than one State duo qualified for the doubles championship.
For the second year in a row, MSU's Borges has automatically qualified for both the singles and doubles championships, earning top-5 national seeds in both draws. The three-time SEC Player of the Year Borges, ranked second nationally, will compete as the No. 1 singles seed, while he and Strahinja Rakic will team up as the No. 3 overall doubles seed.
With the No. 1 singles seed, Borges becomes the third Bulldog to earn that seeding in program history, joining fellow MSU All-Americans Thomas Dupre (1997) and Marco Baron (2001). Based on those seedings, both Borges and Rakic will earn All-American status once again in 2019.
Borges is entering the NCAA Championships riding a career-long 24-match winning streak in singles and is undefeated (23-0) in dual match play this season. This marks Borges' third straight appearance in the singles championship, with all three coming as an automatic qualifier. He has reached the NCAA Singles semifinals each of the last two years.
In doubles, Borges and Rakic have picked up right where they left off from their NCAA Doubles quarterfinal run a year ago, holding a 20-9 overall mark in 2018-19. This spring, the duo has been just as impressive, anchoring the No. 1 position with a 15-6 ledger that includes a 9-2 mark in SEC play. Together, Borges and Rakic hold the most wins by a doubles pair in program history with 54.
Both Borges and Rakic earned First Team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row after being the top-ranked doubles tandem in the conference. This season, Borges and Rakic have clinched a team-best 10 doubles points for the Maroon and White.
Also in doubles, All-SEC honorees Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini earned an at-large spot while being ranked 27th nationally. The All-SEC first-teamer Oradini will be making his second NCAA Individual Championships appearance, his first in doubles, while Braun will be appearing in the doubles draw for the second time in three seasons after reaching the Round of 16 with Trevor Foshey in 2017.
Braun and Oradini have won a team-best 26 doubles matches in 2018-19, with 14 of those wins coming at No. 2 doubles this spring. The duo is steadily climbing up the charts for wins by a doubles pair, ranking third all-time at MSU with 44 currently.
Not only did Oradini earn a bid in the doubles championship, but there is also a possibility he earns a spot in the singles draw, currently standing as the first alternate to that field. Oradini reached the NCAA Singles Round of 16 last spring, earning All-America status in the process.
Draws for both tournaments will be released prior to the start of the NCAA singles and doubles championships in Orlando on May 20.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
STARKVILLE – Just a day after being named a host site for the NCAA Team Championship, the Mississippi State men's tennis team got more good news Tuesday, with four Bulldogs being selected to the 2019 NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, to be held May 20-25 in Orlando, Florida, at the USTA National Campus.
Senior All-American Nuno Borges qualified for the singles championship as the No. 1 overall seed, while a pair of doubles tandems grace the qualifier list that was announced by the NCAA on Tuesday. This year marks the first time since 1968 that more than one State duo qualified for the doubles championship.
For the second year in a row, MSU's Borges has automatically qualified for both the singles and doubles championships, earning top-5 national seeds in both draws. The three-time SEC Player of the Year Borges, ranked second nationally, will compete as the No. 1 singles seed, while he and Strahinja Rakic will team up as the No. 3 overall doubles seed.
With the No. 1 singles seed, Borges becomes the third Bulldog to earn that seeding in program history, joining fellow MSU All-Americans Thomas Dupre (1997) and Marco Baron (2001). Based on those seedings, both Borges and Rakic will earn All-American status once again in 2019.
Borges is entering the NCAA Championships riding a career-long 24-match winning streak in singles and is undefeated (23-0) in dual match play this season. This marks Borges' third straight appearance in the singles championship, with all three coming as an automatic qualifier. He has reached the NCAA Singles semifinals each of the last two years.
In doubles, Borges and Rakic have picked up right where they left off from their NCAA Doubles quarterfinal run a year ago, holding a 20-9 overall mark in 2018-19. This spring, the duo has been just as impressive, anchoring the No. 1 position with a 15-6 ledger that includes a 9-2 mark in SEC play. Together, Borges and Rakic hold the most wins by a doubles pair in program history with 54.
Both Borges and Rakic earned First Team All-SEC honors for the second year in a row after being the top-ranked doubles tandem in the conference. This season, Borges and Rakic have clinched a team-best 10 doubles points for the Maroon and White.
Also in doubles, All-SEC honorees Niclas Braun and Giovanni Oradini earned an at-large spot while being ranked 27th nationally. The All-SEC first-teamer Oradini will be making his second NCAA Individual Championships appearance, his first in doubles, while Braun will be appearing in the doubles draw for the second time in three seasons after reaching the Round of 16 with Trevor Foshey in 2017.
Braun and Oradini have won a team-best 26 doubles matches in 2018-19, with 14 of those wins coming at No. 2 doubles this spring. The duo is steadily climbing up the charts for wins by a doubles pair, ranking third all-time at MSU with 44 currently.
Not only did Oradini earn a bid in the doubles championship, but there is also a possibility he earns a spot in the singles draw, currently standing as the first alternate to that field. Oradini reached the NCAA Singles Round of 16 last spring, earning All-America status in the process.
Draws for both tournaments will be released prior to the start of the NCAA singles and doubles championships in Orlando on May 20.
For more information on the Mississippi State men's tennis program, follow "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Men's Tennis | 2026 NCAA Tournament Media Session - Matt Roberts
Friday, May 01
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts Michigan State Presser
Saturday, May 03
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts & Niccolo Baroni
Friday, May 02
Men's Tennis | Matt Roberts - NCAA Selection Show
Monday, April 28