Apr. 13, 2018
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 5 Texas A&M men's tennis team claimed its second straight SEC Championship with a 5-2 win over No. 7 Mississippi State Friday evening at the George P Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. With the win the Aggies improved to 19-4 on the season and 11-0 in SEC play and clinched at least a share of the 2018 trophy, the Bulldogs fell to 16-2 on the season and 10-1 in league play.
Freshman Juan Carlos Aguilar clinched for the second straight time against a top-10 opponent with a thrilling three-set triumph on court five over Florian Broska. Aguilar, ranked No. 105 in the country, ground out a 6-4 first set win before dropping the second set 6-3. With the Aggies leading 3-2 and nearly everyone in the building crowded around court five, the right-hander picked up a break at two-all and held on for the 6-3 triumph in the third set.
The Aggies opened the match dropping the doubles point for just the eighth time in 23 matches this spring. Braun and Oradini topped Arconada and Kypson 6-2 followed by Foshey and Broska besting AJ Catanzariti and Vacherot 6-3 to secure the point for the Bulldogs.
No. 41 Jordi Arconada got the scoring started for the Maroon & White, the senior cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 78 Strahinja Rakic on court three to even the match score at one-all. The Buenos Aires, Argentina native, improved to 10-1 in SEC matches this season and an inconceivable 20-1 in the last two seasons against the league. Arconada, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, picked up his 11th win against a ranked foe and improved his team-leading win total to 26 matches.
Shortly after Arconada evened the match the Bulldogs edged back ahead, 2-1, as No. 3 Nuno Borges bested No. 6 Patrick Kypson, 6-3, 6-3, on court one. The visitor's second advantage of the match did not last for long as No. 52 Valentin Vacherot earned a 6-4, 6-2 win over Niclas Braun on court four to even the match at 2-2. The A&M sophomore improved his league tally to 9-2 and 23-10 overall.
The Aggies gained their first advantage of the day, 3-2, as No. 10 Arthur Rinderknech bested No. 19 Giovanni Oradini, 7-6(0), 6-3 on court two. The sensational senior improved to 11-2 against ranked opponents and 9-2 in the SEC. Rinderknech climbed to 18th on A&M's all-time wins list with the 63rd dual victory of his career. Rinderknech's victory set the moment for the Aguilar, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, to clinch the Aggies third overall and second-straight SEC title.
Freshman Barnaby Smith made the final score 5-2 with a three-set win over Trevor Foshey on court six. The Englishman improved to 7-3 in the SEC with the 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 win.
Texas A&M 5, Mississippi State 2
Singles Competition
1. #3 Nuno Borges (MS) def. #6 Patrick Kypson (TAMU) 6-3, 6-3
2. #10 Arthur Rinderknech (TAMU) def. #19 Giovanni Oradini (MS) 7-6 (7-0), 6-3
3. #41 Jordi Arconada (TAMU) def. #78 Strahinja Rakic (MS) 6-2, 6-2
4. #52 Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) def. Niclas Braun (MS) 6-4, 6-2
5. #105 Juan Carlos Aguilar (TAMU) def. Florian Broska (MS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
6. Barnaby Smith (TAMU) def. Trevor Foshey (MS) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5
Doubles Competition
1. Juan Carlos Aguilar/Arthur Rinderknech (TAMU) vs. #42 Nuno Borges/Strahinja Rakic (MS) 4-5, unfinished
2. #44 Niclas Braun/Giovanni Oradini (MS) def. Jordi Arconada/Patrick Kypson (TAMU) 6-2
3. Trevor Foshey/Florian Broska (MS) def. AJ Catanzariti/Valentin Vacherot (TAMU) 6-3