Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Borendame Inks Three to Men’s Tennis
4/27/2018 12:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Blue Raiders add three for next year’s squad
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.– Middle Tennessee men's tennis, led by head coach Jimmy Borendame in his eighth season, has signed three student-athletes that will join the team that has just reached its best season since 1997.
"All three of these guys fit the mold of being athletic, strong students in the classroom, coachable, have positive attitudes, haven't reached their potential yet and come with strong character," Borendame said. "Plus, I am excited as all of them can add to our doubles and singles lineups as freshmen."
Pavel Motl is one of those three student-athletes to become Blue Raiders in August, and he hails from Prstice, Czech Republic. His best ITF-Juniors ranking was No. 101 in the country, and he was ranked No. 2 in the Czech U-18 rankings in 2015. Doubles is Motl's specialty, as he won ITF-Juniors tournaments at the G2, G3 and G4 levels, and advanced to the finals of the Czech U-18 national tournament.
"Pavel has had great results in both juniors and futures events," added Borendame. "I anticipate him being a top three singles contributor early in his career. He also has the game to be a very strong doubles piece for us."
Stijn Slump will also join the Blue Raiders in fall 2018 from Havelte, Netherlands. Recently coached by Marc Duncker, Slump has always been in the top 10 of his age group nationally in his eight years of playing competitive tennis. A national championship and participation in various ATP Tournaments are a few of his highlights, as well as defeating some of the top ITF-Juniors players in the world, including the No. 3, 12 and 28-ranked players.
"Stijn is another big athletic Dutchmen, very similar to our Tom Moonen," the MT head coach added. "He has a big game and a good attitude, and I anticipate him being a factor in both singles and doubles instantly. His game is only going to improve over the next few years."
Francisco Rocha is another soon-to-be Blue Raider that is expected to make an impact in his first year on campus. The Porto, Portugal, native was the regional singles champion in the U-18 division and has won multiple tournaments in Portugal in doubles. Internationally, he recently advanced to the quarterfinals of a U-18 tournament.
"Rocha is going to be a strong piece to our team," Borendame said of the final commit. "He has a nice all-around game that will do well on hard courts once he is fully adjusted. He moves well, is athletic, has a positive attitude, and I know he will be a great team guy."
Borendame has a history of bringing in quality talent and building a program in Murfreesboro. In 2015 and 2016, the Blue Raiders had a nationally ranked recruiting class, and this year the Blue Raiders saw an immediate impact from this season's newcomers, Chris Edge and Jan Porteset.
"All three of these guys fit the mold of being athletic, strong students in the classroom, coachable, have positive attitudes, haven't reached their potential yet and come with strong character," Borendame said. "Plus, I am excited as all of them can add to our doubles and singles lineups as freshmen."
Pavel Motl is one of those three student-athletes to become Blue Raiders in August, and he hails from Prstice, Czech Republic. His best ITF-Juniors ranking was No. 101 in the country, and he was ranked No. 2 in the Czech U-18 rankings in 2015. Doubles is Motl's specialty, as he won ITF-Juniors tournaments at the G2, G3 and G4 levels, and advanced to the finals of the Czech U-18 national tournament.
"Pavel has had great results in both juniors and futures events," added Borendame. "I anticipate him being a top three singles contributor early in his career. He also has the game to be a very strong doubles piece for us."
Stijn Slump will also join the Blue Raiders in fall 2018 from Havelte, Netherlands. Recently coached by Marc Duncker, Slump has always been in the top 10 of his age group nationally in his eight years of playing competitive tennis. A national championship and participation in various ATP Tournaments are a few of his highlights, as well as defeating some of the top ITF-Juniors players in the world, including the No. 3, 12 and 28-ranked players.
"Stijn is another big athletic Dutchmen, very similar to our Tom Moonen," the MT head coach added. "He has a big game and a good attitude, and I anticipate him being a factor in both singles and doubles instantly. His game is only going to improve over the next few years."
Francisco Rocha is another soon-to-be Blue Raider that is expected to make an impact in his first year on campus. The Porto, Portugal, native was the regional singles champion in the U-18 division and has won multiple tournaments in Portugal in doubles. Internationally, he recently advanced to the quarterfinals of a U-18 tournament.
"Rocha is going to be a strong piece to our team," Borendame said of the final commit. "He has a nice all-around game that will do well on hard courts once he is fully adjusted. He moves well, is athletic, has a positive attitude, and I know he will be a great team guy."
Borendame has a history of bringing in quality talent and building a program in Murfreesboro. In 2015 and 2016, the Blue Raiders had a nationally ranked recruiting class, and this year the Blue Raiders saw an immediate impact from this season's newcomers, Chris Edge and Jan Porteset.
Players Mentioned
MTSU Tennis Pro-Am 9/6/25
Tuesday, September 09
Facility tour – Stephen and Denise Smith Student-Athlete Performance Center
Wednesday, July 30
Men's Tennis NCAA Selection Show Watch Party on 04/28/25
Tuesday, April 29
MTSU Men's Tennis CUSA Championship vs Liberty Recap on 04/20/25
Wednesday, April 23
