Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Borendame inks three for men’s tennis
4/27/2016 12:15:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Buitrago, Moonen and Rauch added to Borendame’s squad
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee head coach Jimmy Borendame capitalized on last year's recruiting class national ranking of No. 25 by adding three new Blue Raiders for the 2017 season.
Nicolas Buitrago Machado comes to MT from Bogota, Columbia. Buitrago earned an ITF Junior international ranking of 553 as of April 1. He'll graduate from Laurel Springs in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in May of this year. In the summer, Buitrago plays for IMG Bollettieri in Bradenton, Florida.
"Nicolas will be a team player and I anticipate him improving dramatically each year," Borendame said. "He comes from a tennis academy in Port St. Lucie Florida where Gian Issa came from and this academy has been producing solid college and pro players."
While in Columbia, Buitrago earned a national ranking of No. 18 in January 2013. He participated in several ITF Pro Tournaments in January and February of 2016 and reached the doubles finals of the ITF Junior Copa Liga de Tenis de Boyota in July 2015. Buitrago has an internationally respected singles reputation, as he has advanced to the semifinals of a number of major junior tournaments.
"Nicolas is our secret weapon," Borendame added. "He is an up and comer that is just starting to scratch at his potential. On his visit, he meshed with the team very well and I could see he was a tennis junkie that will put in the work needed on the court."
Coming from the Netherlands to play tennis for Borendame is Tom Moonen. Moonen has been playing tennis since he was six years old and has won three national championships in two different age divisions.
"We know Tom will bolster our doubles lineup instantly and I see him playing high in the singles lineup after getting acclimated to our program and training," said Borendame. "He is tall and has a cannon of a serve."
Moonen was honored in 2012 with the Coupe Renauld for most promising talent. He took home one ITF Juniors title out of two appearances in the finals. Out of 10 ITF Junior doubles championship round appearances, Moonen has been on the winning side six times.
"Tom is a team guy and I am looking forward to having him as a Blue Raider," Borendame said.
Max Rauch will be a freshman for Borendame when he comes to campus next season. Rauch hails from Germany, where he is one of the top players in his age group. In the ITF Juniors, he won the doubles portion of the Estonian Junior Open in May 2015.
"Max builds on our German connection with Coach Daniel Leitner and Robin Reithmueller," added Borendame. "Max is the complete package, his game is very solid, he's a competitor, and he is fast. Plus, he is a lefty."
Rauch was the German Doubles Championship runner up in 2012 and won the event in 2014. He got put out in the semifinal round in 2015. His best win came in February 2015 against the No. 1 player in his age group in Germany and the No. 23 ITF Junior in the world.
Borendame is excited to have Rauch at MT, as he said: "I anticipate Max being a real nightmare to play against."
The Blue Raiders return five of the top six players in the lineup from the 2016 team.
Nicolas Buitrago Machado comes to MT from Bogota, Columbia. Buitrago earned an ITF Junior international ranking of 553 as of April 1. He'll graduate from Laurel Springs in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in May of this year. In the summer, Buitrago plays for IMG Bollettieri in Bradenton, Florida.
"Nicolas will be a team player and I anticipate him improving dramatically each year," Borendame said. "He comes from a tennis academy in Port St. Lucie Florida where Gian Issa came from and this academy has been producing solid college and pro players."
While in Columbia, Buitrago earned a national ranking of No. 18 in January 2013. He participated in several ITF Pro Tournaments in January and February of 2016 and reached the doubles finals of the ITF Junior Copa Liga de Tenis de Boyota in July 2015. Buitrago has an internationally respected singles reputation, as he has advanced to the semifinals of a number of major junior tournaments.
"Nicolas is our secret weapon," Borendame added. "He is an up and comer that is just starting to scratch at his potential. On his visit, he meshed with the team very well and I could see he was a tennis junkie that will put in the work needed on the court."
Coming from the Netherlands to play tennis for Borendame is Tom Moonen. Moonen has been playing tennis since he was six years old and has won three national championships in two different age divisions.
"We know Tom will bolster our doubles lineup instantly and I see him playing high in the singles lineup after getting acclimated to our program and training," said Borendame. "He is tall and has a cannon of a serve."
Moonen was honored in 2012 with the Coupe Renauld for most promising talent. He took home one ITF Juniors title out of two appearances in the finals. Out of 10 ITF Junior doubles championship round appearances, Moonen has been on the winning side six times.
"Tom is a team guy and I am looking forward to having him as a Blue Raider," Borendame said.
Max Rauch will be a freshman for Borendame when he comes to campus next season. Rauch hails from Germany, where he is one of the top players in his age group. In the ITF Juniors, he won the doubles portion of the Estonian Junior Open in May 2015.
"Max builds on our German connection with Coach Daniel Leitner and Robin Reithmueller," added Borendame. "Max is the complete package, his game is very solid, he's a competitor, and he is fast. Plus, he is a lefty."
Rauch was the German Doubles Championship runner up in 2012 and won the event in 2014. He got put out in the semifinal round in 2015. His best win came in February 2015 against the No. 1 player in his age group in Germany and the No. 23 ITF Junior in the world.
Borendame is excited to have Rauch at MT, as he said: "I anticipate Max being a real nightmare to play against."
The Blue Raiders return five of the top six players in the lineup from the 2016 team.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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