Mississippi State Tennis Players Shine at ITA All-American Championships

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State men’s tennis players Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Raphael Vaksmann showcased their talents at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Hernandez Cortes, ranked 63rd nationally, advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating No. 23 Alexander Razeghi of Stanford in straight sets during the opening round. The junior then beat Florida’s Henry Jefferson, ranked 39th, in three sets in the Round of 32 before falling to the tournament’s eventual champion, Keegan Rice of Virginia.

Following his loss, Hernandez Cortes moved to the consolation bracket, where he defeated Ohio State’s Preston Stearns, ranked 12th nationally. Trailing 6-2 in the first set, Hernandez Cortes rallied to win the next two sets 6-4, 6-4. This victory marked his second top-15 win at the ITA All-American Championships, with his highest-ranked win last fall over No. 8 Corey Craig of Florida State.

Vaksmann, who was ranked 95th entering the tournament, started in the qualifying bracket. After an initial loss to Jeremy Zhang of Illinois, he defeated Wake Forest’s Joaquin Guilleme, ranked 73rd, in the consolation round. Vaksmann’s performance improved his career wins at the tournament to two, while Hernandez Cortes now has seven.

Both players now have six ranked wins in their careers at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs continue to build momentum ahead of upcoming events. Fans can follow MSU Men’s Tennis on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram under the handle “HailStateMT.”

Source: Original Article