The Mississippi State men’s tennis team opens their fall 2006 schedule heading to Athens, Ga., for the Southern Collegiate Invitational this weekend.
The team is looking to start out fresh after last season’s woes.
The team finished last season 4-13 with a 1-10 record against SEC competition.
However, they did make a historic run at the SEC tournament, becoming the first bottom-seeded team to make it past the first round, knocking off LSU and Kentucky before falling to national runner-up Georgia.
The team lost Jose-Carlos Pinto and Florent Girod to graduation last spring and Pierre Mouillon to transfer.
But returning for his senior year is all-SEC player Ivan Bjelica, who ended the 2006 season ranked 66 in singles.
His composite record last season in singles play was an even 17-17, 8-5 in the fall and 7-11 in the spring.
Also returning is Eric Lim, who showed flashes of greatness toward the end of last season.
He was a key part of the team knocking off LSU and Kentucky in the tournament. Normally playing in the No.6 position, Lim should look forward to moving up and playing in the No. 2 or No. 3 spot.
Philippe Frayssinoux is also returning looking to build off last season’s success.
He closed out the season on a three-match win streak and was playing well enough to upset Matic Omerzel from Georgia before his match was suspended.
He is a versatile all-court player who has a good backhand and return game.
Josh Irey did not see much action for the Bulldogs last season.
He did not get a chance to play in any of the spring dual matches, but he did earn some wins last fall.
Ryan Farlow is coming off a subpar freshman season, winning only two dual singles matches in the spring.
The two new faces to the team are Christopher Doerr from Petts Wood, England and Pjotrs Nacajevs from Riga, Latvia.
There is a new assistant coach on staff, Nate Reinhart.
State head coach Sylvain Guichard-an MSU alum-will be coming back for his sixth season guiding the Bulldogs’ rackets.