ORLANDO, Fla. — Mississippi State men’s tennis player Nuno Borges’ illustrious career came to a close Saturday in a 3-6, 6-7 (2) loss to South Carolina’s Paul Jubb in the NCAA men’s singles championship match.
“Nuno’s a warrior,” MSU coach Matt Roberts said. “I was happy that he was able to develop here at Mississippi State and use our program to take him to the next level to where he can be a successful tennis pro.”
With the loss, Borges finishes his time in Starkville as one of the greatest players in men’s college tennis history. He concludes the year with a 37-3 singles record, including a program best 31-match win streak.
Borges has been named an All-American five times — three in singles, two in doubles — and was named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year on three separate occasions — the first time any tennis player had accomplished the feat.
“I look back, and it’s amazing what I’ve done,” he said. “People tell me how great my career has been and I have to take from that moving forward. I should be proud of myself for what I’ve done and take all of the positives from my tennis into the future.”
After defeating TCU’s Alex Rybakov 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals, Borges became the first player in MSU history to reach the NCAA men’s singles final.
Senior Niclas Braun and junior Giovanni Oradini’s impressive postseason run in the men’s doubles competition also came to a close with a loss to Alabama’s No. 11 ranked team of Patrick Kaukovalta and Mazen Osama 2-6, 5-7 on Friday.
Braun concludes his career as the winingest dual match doubles player in program history, while his 93 overall doubles victories are the second most of any Bulldog all-time.
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