Friday, March 18
Columbia, S.C.
4 p.m.
Mississippi State
at
South Carolina
Photo by: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics
Bulldogs Travel To Two Top 10 Opponents
March 17, 2022 | Men's Tennis
If there was a college tennis strength of schedule, Mississippi State's men would have a compelling case to be at the top of that list.
By the end of this weekend, the 28th-ranked Bulldogs will have already played five of the top 10 teams currently ranked in the ITA poll and eight opponents ranked in the top 25. To solidify its strength of schedule claim, MSU is about to play its third opponent that has held the No. 1 ranking this season.
But before Matt Roberts' Bulldogs meet top-ranked Florida on Sunday at noon CT, they must contend with No. 7 South Carolina in Columbia on Friday at 4 p.m. CT.
State enters the matchup with the Gamecocks with a 11-6 overall record and a 1-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Bulldogs split last weekend, winning 4-3 at now No. 44 LSU before falling to 22nd-ranked Texas A&M 5-2 on the road.
Mississippi State currently features No. 25 Florian Broska and No. 81 Nemanja Malesevic in its singles lineup. Broska has already beaten five ranked opponents during dual match play while Malesevic has four ranked victories and leads the team with a 13-3 record this spring.
Malesevic is also one-half of the Bulldogs' 65th-ranked doubles duo along with Davide Tortora. Malesevic and Tortora have won 10 out of their last 12 doubles decisions together.
MSU leads the overall series against South Carolina 23-11 and are 8-6 in Columbia. The Bulldogs are currently riding a five-match winning streak against the Gamecocks, including a 4-3 victory in Starkville last season.
South Carolina is 10-0 at home this season and is 13-4 overall. The Gamecocks have started off SEC play at 2-2 and also split last weekend. They knocked off previous No. 1 Tennessee 4-3 in Knoxville last Friday but fell at eighth-ranked Georgia 4-3 on Sunday.
Daniel Rodrigues headlines South Carolina's singles roster as the nation's No. 16 competitor while Toby Samuel comes into the weekend ranked 86th. The Gamecocks also have a ranked doubles tandem in Rodrigues and Connor Thomson at No. 30.
Broska and doubles partner Gregor Ramskogler beat Rodrigues and Thompson 7-6(2) last year in Starkville.
Florida heads into Friday with a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in league play. The Gators will host Ole Miss on Friday before welcoming the Bulldogs to the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex on Sunday.
Florida defeated both Georgia (4-0) and Tennessee (5-2) on the road last weekend and blanked No. 69 Illinois 7-0 at home on Wednesday.
The Gators sport the current No. 1 singles player in the country in Ben Shelton. Sam Riffice (56), Andres Andrade (93), Duarte Vale (109) and Nate Bonetto (119) round out Florida's singles lineup.
Florida features three ranked doubles pairings as well in No. 33 Abedellah Shellbayh and Mattias Siimar, No. 54 Andrade and Siimar and No. 79 Andrade and Vale.
State trails in the overall series against the Gators 39-19 with its last win coming in the semifinals of the 2018 SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
By the end of this weekend, the 28th-ranked Bulldogs will have already played five of the top 10 teams currently ranked in the ITA poll and eight opponents ranked in the top 25. To solidify its strength of schedule claim, MSU is about to play its third opponent that has held the No. 1 ranking this season.
But before Matt Roberts' Bulldogs meet top-ranked Florida on Sunday at noon CT, they must contend with No. 7 South Carolina in Columbia on Friday at 4 p.m. CT.
State enters the matchup with the Gamecocks with a 11-6 overall record and a 1-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Bulldogs split last weekend, winning 4-3 at now No. 44 LSU before falling to 22nd-ranked Texas A&M 5-2 on the road.
Mississippi State currently features No. 25 Florian Broska and No. 81 Nemanja Malesevic in its singles lineup. Broska has already beaten five ranked opponents during dual match play while Malesevic has four ranked victories and leads the team with a 13-3 record this spring.
Malesevic is also one-half of the Bulldogs' 65th-ranked doubles duo along with Davide Tortora. Malesevic and Tortora have won 10 out of their last 12 doubles decisions together.
MSU leads the overall series against South Carolina 23-11 and are 8-6 in Columbia. The Bulldogs are currently riding a five-match winning streak against the Gamecocks, including a 4-3 victory in Starkville last season.
South Carolina is 10-0 at home this season and is 13-4 overall. The Gamecocks have started off SEC play at 2-2 and also split last weekend. They knocked off previous No. 1 Tennessee 4-3 in Knoxville last Friday but fell at eighth-ranked Georgia 4-3 on Sunday.
Daniel Rodrigues headlines South Carolina's singles roster as the nation's No. 16 competitor while Toby Samuel comes into the weekend ranked 86th. The Gamecocks also have a ranked doubles tandem in Rodrigues and Connor Thomson at No. 30.
Broska and doubles partner Gregor Ramskogler beat Rodrigues and Thompson 7-6(2) last year in Starkville.
Florida heads into Friday with a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in league play. The Gators will host Ole Miss on Friday before welcoming the Bulldogs to the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex on Sunday.
Florida defeated both Georgia (4-0) and Tennessee (5-2) on the road last weekend and blanked No. 69 Illinois 7-0 at home on Wednesday.
The Gators sport the current No. 1 singles player in the country in Ben Shelton. Sam Riffice (56), Andres Andrade (93), Duarte Vale (109) and Nate Bonetto (119) round out Florida's singles lineup.
Florida features three ranked doubles pairings as well in No. 33 Abedellah Shellbayh and Mattias Siimar, No. 54 Andrade and Siimar and No. 79 Andrade and Vale.
State trails in the overall series against the Gators 39-19 with its last win coming in the semifinals of the 2018 SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
For more information on the Bulldog men's tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for "HailStateMT" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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
Mississippi State Men's Tennis vs. Arkansas Recap - 04/07/21
Thursday, April 08