Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Doubles and singles top-40 nod highlight Blue Raiders in ITA Preseason Rankings
9/8/2021 1:32:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Stijn Slump and Pavel Motl of the Middle Tennessee men's tennis team headline the Blue Raiders' Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Preseason Rankings as they were tabbed the 21st doubles team in the nation, while Francisco Rocha, Chris Edge, and Stijn Slump received national recognition as singles competitors heading into the 2021 fall season.
Last season, Slump and Motl defeated No. 43-ranked doubles from Mississippi State during fall competition, posting a 1-2 record. In the spring, the duo entered competition with a No. 77 ITA Doubles Ranking and finished the season with a 9-10 mark to finish 10-11 in doubles competition during the 2020-21 season. Slump and Motl tallied ranked wins over No. 14 South Florida, No. 28 Mississippi State, and No. 60 Old Dominion. The duo also claimed an advantage against No. 37 Ohio State and No. 17 Iowa before the games went unfinished.
Middle Tennessee will begin the 2021 fall season with three ranked singles competitors, with Rocha leading the way at No. 38 in the nation, while Edge checks in at No. 104, and followed closely by Slump at No. 109 nationally for the Blue Raiders.
Rocha came to Middle Tennessee three seasons ago as primarily a doubles-only competitor, but over the past two seasons he has positioned himself as one of the deadliest singles competitors in the nation. Last season, Rocha posted an incredible 23-8 record, going 10-2 in the fall and 13-6 during spring competition. Between singles and doubles competition, Rocha posted the most wins on the team in the fall with 17 combined. He defeated No. 46-ranked Daniel Rodrigues of South Carolina (6-2, 6-3), who finished the season as the second best in the nation, as well as No. 89-ranked Florian Broska of Mississippi State (6-1, 2-6, 7-5). In the spring, Rocha helped lead the Blue Raiders to an impressive victory against the No. 29-ranked South Florida Bulls, including a singles win over No. 45-ranked Chase Ferguson. Rocha also claimed wins against Iowa, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt twice, DePaul, and Georgia State. He finished the spring competition as the highest ranked C-USA singles player, earning three C-USA Player of the Week nods, and became the first Blue Raider since 2010 to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship.
Edge finished 15-6 in singles and 16-6 in doubles this past spring, finishing second on the team in singles wins. He earned wins against Iowa, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Louisville, DePaul, and South Florida. At the C-USA Championships, Edge earned three straight-set victories and only dropped 10 games, including just three games in the C-USA Championship against Old Dominion, winning 6-2 in doubles and 6-1 and 6-0 in singles.
Slump finished 17-7 (1-2 fall, 16-5 spring) in singles and 10-11 (1-2 fall, 9-10 spring) in doubles last season. He led the Blue Raiders with 16 singles wins in the spring, going 9-2 at No. 2 and 7-3 at No. 3. Slump earned notable wins against Auburn, DePaul, Louisville, Memphis, and Vanderbilt twice. Slump was named C-USA Player of the Week after claiming a straight-set win over No. 31 Alabama. Slump notched two wins at the C-USA Championships, including a 7-5, 7-5 win over Old Dominion in the finals.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders host the 2021 Wally Tidwell Pro-Am on Sept. 10-11 before kicking off the 2021 fall campaign at home with the Coach Dale Short Shootout on Sept. 17-19.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media on Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
Last season, Slump and Motl defeated No. 43-ranked doubles from Mississippi State during fall competition, posting a 1-2 record. In the spring, the duo entered competition with a No. 77 ITA Doubles Ranking and finished the season with a 9-10 mark to finish 10-11 in doubles competition during the 2020-21 season. Slump and Motl tallied ranked wins over No. 14 South Florida, No. 28 Mississippi State, and No. 60 Old Dominion. The duo also claimed an advantage against No. 37 Ohio State and No. 17 Iowa before the games went unfinished.
Middle Tennessee will begin the 2021 fall season with three ranked singles competitors, with Rocha leading the way at No. 38 in the nation, while Edge checks in at No. 104, and followed closely by Slump at No. 109 nationally for the Blue Raiders.
Rocha came to Middle Tennessee three seasons ago as primarily a doubles-only competitor, but over the past two seasons he has positioned himself as one of the deadliest singles competitors in the nation. Last season, Rocha posted an incredible 23-8 record, going 10-2 in the fall and 13-6 during spring competition. Between singles and doubles competition, Rocha posted the most wins on the team in the fall with 17 combined. He defeated No. 46-ranked Daniel Rodrigues of South Carolina (6-2, 6-3), who finished the season as the second best in the nation, as well as No. 89-ranked Florian Broska of Mississippi State (6-1, 2-6, 7-5). In the spring, Rocha helped lead the Blue Raiders to an impressive victory against the No. 29-ranked South Florida Bulls, including a singles win over No. 45-ranked Chase Ferguson. Rocha also claimed wins against Iowa, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt twice, DePaul, and Georgia State. He finished the spring competition as the highest ranked C-USA singles player, earning three C-USA Player of the Week nods, and became the first Blue Raider since 2010 to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship.
Edge finished 15-6 in singles and 16-6 in doubles this past spring, finishing second on the team in singles wins. He earned wins against Iowa, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Louisville, DePaul, and South Florida. At the C-USA Championships, Edge earned three straight-set victories and only dropped 10 games, including just three games in the C-USA Championship against Old Dominion, winning 6-2 in doubles and 6-1 and 6-0 in singles.
Slump finished 17-7 (1-2 fall, 16-5 spring) in singles and 10-11 (1-2 fall, 9-10 spring) in doubles last season. He led the Blue Raiders with 16 singles wins in the spring, going 9-2 at No. 2 and 7-3 at No. 3. Slump earned notable wins against Auburn, DePaul, Louisville, Memphis, and Vanderbilt twice. Slump was named C-USA Player of the Week after claiming a straight-set win over No. 31 Alabama. Slump notched two wins at the C-USA Championships, including a 7-5, 7-5 win over Old Dominion in the finals.
Up Next
The Blue Raiders host the 2021 Wally Tidwell Pro-Am on Sept. 10-11 before kicking off the 2021 fall campaign at home with the Coach Dale Short Shootout on Sept. 17-19.
FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media on Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
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