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Mississippi State Tennis sweeps SMU in NCAAT

By Gardner Thornhill

Oct 9, 2016; Tulsa, OK, USA; Nuno Borges of Mississippi State talks to his coach during a match against Brandon Holt of USC at Case Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2016; Tulsa, OK, USA; Nuno Borges of Mississippi State talks to his coach during a match against Brandon Holt of USC at Case Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mississippi State tennis sweeps SMU 4-0 en route to 2017 First Round NCAA Tournament Victory.

Mississippi State’s tennis team has had its fair share of success this season, and today was no different. In the First Round of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament, Mississippi State knocked off SMU in Norman, Oklahoma on Friday afternoon.

The 18th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-8) cruised to a 4-0 victory over SMU (13-12) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  Doubles started off shaky for the Bulldogs, but the end result has the Bulldogs heading towards the Second Round of the tournament. State went 1-1 in the first two doubles matches, and the sophomore duo of Nuno Borges and Strahinja Rakic had to fight from behind a 6-5 deficit to clinch the double point with a tiebreaker victory, 7-6.

The Bulldogs carried the momentum from the doubles as the french freshman Simon Baudry started of the string of victories for Mississippi State, taking his match 6-1, 6-2, over Olaya.

Then singles went mostly as planned for the SEC player of the year, Borges, as he was a 6-3, 6-0, winner.  Rakic would be the finisher with his win over Kerner 6-3, 6-2.

Mississippi State has been impressive all season long, but sweeping a tournament team is a great accomplishment for a club looking to make history in the tournament.

What’s Next? 

The Bulldogs will face the winner of (1) Oklahoma and (4) Bryant for a spot in the Round of 16 in Athens, Georgia next week. Either match-up provides a challenge for the Bulldogs, but Nuno Borges gives Mississippi State a legitmate opportunity to defeat any opponent that is in front of them.

How to Watch?

No live streaming will be available this weekend, but you can view live stats for Mississippi State’s match at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Make sure to stay tuned to Maroon and White Nation to follow along with the tennis team’s ride through the NCAA Tournament!

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