Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Friday, February 14
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
5:00 P.M.
Middle Tennessee
5
vs
2
Oklahoma State
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
12
Isaac Becroft / 0 [OSU]
66
42
#2 Singles Match
123
Alessio Basile / 0 [OSU]
662
736
#3 Singles Match
123
Derek Pham / 0 [OSU]
077
666
#4 Singles Match
12
Nicolas Kobelt / 0 [OSU]
32
66
#5 Singles Match
123
Ian Bracks / 0 [OSU]
466
647
#6 Singles Match
12
Ben Stecker / 0 [OSU]
26
67
Order of Finish:
4,1,6,2,3,5
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
There's a New Sheriff in Town: Blue Raiders Beat Oklahoma State 5-2
2/14/2025 9:36:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Oklahoma State rode into town to face the Blue Raiders, with the Raiders securing a 5-2 victory over the Cowboys.
In doubles play, new pairings continued to pay off for head coach Jimmy Borendame, as the Raiders picked up their third consecutive doubles point to take a 1-0 lead into singles action. The duo of Jakub Kroslak and Kacper Szymkowiak struck first for the Blue Raiders, breaking early and running away with a 6-1 win over Isaac Becroft and Thomas Gadecki.
No. 70-ranked Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak clinched the doubles point for the Raiders. They also went up early with a break and held off their opponents for a 6-4 win, giving Middle Tennessee the overall lead heading into singles play.
Horak opened singles play with a victory over Oklahoma State's Nicholas Kobelt, winning 6-3, 6-2, and improving to 6-3 on the season. The Cowboys responded to make it 2-1, but Rostislav Halfinger swung the momentum back in the Raiders' favor. He took the first set 6-2 and then battled through a second-set tiebreak, winning 10-8 over OSU's Ben Stecker.
Freshman Kacper Szymkowiak extended his winning streak to 10 matches, defeating his opponent in three sets. He took the first set 7-6, dropped the second 3-6, but stormed back in the third to win 6-2, continuing his rise as a standout for the Blue Raiders. Shu Matsuoka secured the final victory for Middle Tennessee, winning 6-4, 4-6, and claiming the third-set tiebreak 7-3.
The win marked the 250th career victory for head coach Jimmy Borendame, making the moment even more special for both him and the program.
Head Coach Jimmy Borendame on Win No. 250
"I'm proud to be a Blue Raider and reach this milestone. There have been some amazing coaches before me, like Coach Short, Coach Buck, and Coach McNamara, along with incredible assistant coaches who helped pave the way. But really, I've been so lucky to serve some incredible student-athletes who do all the hard work. These guys are just getting started. Go Blue!"
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will host the Battle of the 'Boro, welcoming Utah, New Mexico, and South Alabama to Murfreesboro for the tournament. Middle Tennessee will face Utah in the first match on Friday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. The match will be the first of the season at the MTSU Outdoor Tennis Center.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media on Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
In doubles play, new pairings continued to pay off for head coach Jimmy Borendame, as the Raiders picked up their third consecutive doubles point to take a 1-0 lead into singles action. The duo of Jakub Kroslak and Kacper Szymkowiak struck first for the Blue Raiders, breaking early and running away with a 6-1 win over Isaac Becroft and Thomas Gadecki.
No. 70-ranked Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak clinched the doubles point for the Raiders. They also went up early with a break and held off their opponents for a 6-4 win, giving Middle Tennessee the overall lead heading into singles play.
Horak opened singles play with a victory over Oklahoma State's Nicholas Kobelt, winning 6-3, 6-2, and improving to 6-3 on the season. The Cowboys responded to make it 2-1, but Rostislav Halfinger swung the momentum back in the Raiders' favor. He took the first set 6-2 and then battled through a second-set tiebreak, winning 10-8 over OSU's Ben Stecker.
Freshman Kacper Szymkowiak extended his winning streak to 10 matches, defeating his opponent in three sets. He took the first set 7-6, dropped the second 3-6, but stormed back in the third to win 6-2, continuing his rise as a standout for the Blue Raiders. Shu Matsuoka secured the final victory for Middle Tennessee, winning 6-4, 4-6, and claiming the third-set tiebreak 7-3.
The win marked the 250th career victory for head coach Jimmy Borendame, making the moment even more special for both him and the program.
Head Coach Jimmy Borendame on Win No. 250
"I'm proud to be a Blue Raider and reach this milestone. There have been some amazing coaches before me, like Coach Short, Coach Buck, and Coach McNamara, along with incredible assistant coaches who helped pave the way. But really, I've been so lucky to serve some incredible student-athletes who do all the hard work. These guys are just getting started. Go Blue!"
Up Next
The Blue Raiders will host the Battle of the 'Boro, welcoming Utah, New Mexico, and South Alabama to Murfreesboro for the tournament. Middle Tennessee will face Utah in the first match on Friday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. The match will be the first of the season at the MTSU Outdoor Tennis Center.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee men's tennis on social media on Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), Twitter (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (MT_MensTennis).
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
MTSU Men's Tennis vs Wichita State Recap on 04/13/25
Saturday, April 19
