Frenchman who is entering the final season of his Mississippi State career...Has posted superb results in his first three seasons on the collegiate level, though his results were skewed due to injury in spring 2001...Has cracked the top 25 nationally during his career in singles, where he is 64-48 overall thus far...Also 69-36 in doubles...Stands seventh on MSU's career wins list in doubles and enters 2003 just 24 wins shy of State's top 10 in overall career victories...Possesses a very good all-court game...Excellent thinker on the court and is a tremendous fighter...Studious player who has earned Academic all-SEC laurels twice and is an ITA Scholar-Athlete as well.
2002-03 (SENIOR):
Will enter spring 2003 ranked 76th in the country in singles and 52nd in doubles with Jerome Le Belicard.
FALL--Went 3-4 in singles, 4-4 in doubles in limited play during the semester...Missed qualifying for both singles and doubles at the Icy Hoy All-American Hardcourt Championships (Atlanta, GA) by just one round in each draw.
2001-02 (JUNIOR):
Notched a solid 16-14 singles record on the year and was a very impressive 23-10 in doubles...Ended the campaign ranked 94th in the country in singles and 35th in doubles with Romain Ambert...An ITA Scholar-Athlete and Academic all-SEC selection.
FALL--Still struggling with his stomach injury from the previous spring, was limited to just six match opportunities in singles...Was 2-4 in those contests...Was an automatic entrant into the All-American Hardcourt Championships (Stone Mountain, GA) in singles, but was unable to play due to the injury...Did post a solid 6-2 doubles record during the term, 5-2 with Ambert...The duo made the quarterfinals of the Omni Hotels Southern Regional Championships (Knoxville, TN) and was 3-1 at the Bulldog Scramble (Athens, GA).
SPRING--Started the semester very well, winning 12 of his first 16 matches, including a consolation semifinal showing at the SEC Indoor Championships (Lexington, KY) to open the term...Also made the main draw doubles quarterfinals of that event with Ambert...Went 12-8 in dual match singles play (7-7 at the #2 position), 5-4 in the SEC, and was 9-2 in team play to start the semester...Also paired with Ambert for a 14-6 dual match mark in doubles (started the team season 9-0), 7-3 in the conference, all at the #1 position in the lineup... A qualifier for the NCAA Doubles Championship with Ambert to end the year, falling in the first round.
2000-01 (SOPHOMORE):
Went 18-19 in singles on the year, 21-11 in doubles...Had a superb fall, but a pair of injuries drastically hampered his results in the spring, as he fell from #24 in the country entering the spring to #59 at season's end...Defeated four ranked foes during the year, two of which held top 10 rankings during the year...An Academic all-SEC selection.
FALL--Qualified for the main draw at both the T. Rowe Price National Collegiate Clay Court Championships (Baltimore, MD) and the ITA All-American Hardcourt Championships (Stone Mountain, GA) in the fall..Made the quarterfinals of the National Clay Courts in his first Collegiate Grand Slam main draw ever...Faced teammate Romain Ambert for the title of two other tournaments during the term as well...Fell to Ambert in the finals of the Citizens Bank Collegiate Clay Court Championships (Johnson City, TN) and bested him for the crown of the Arizona State/Thunderbirds Collegiate Invitational (Tempe, AZ)...Teamed with Ambert for a 5-5 record in doubles, including a semifinal showing at the Citizens Bank tournament...The duo also qualified for the All-American Hardcourts, reaching the round of 16 of the main draw.
SPRING--A stomach injury and an achilles strain significantly slowed his success...Was just 1-12 in dual matches (playing at the top four positions), missing singles action in half of State's matches...Did notch a solid 13-5 doubles mark in team play, mainly at the No. 3 position.
1999-2000 (FRESHMAN):
Registered an outstanding rookie season for MSU...27-11 in singles, 21-11 in doubles...One of only three Bulldogs to have 20-plus wins in both areas.
FALL--11-7 in singles, 4-6 doubles in his first semester as a collegiate player, the second most singles wins on the team...Consolation semifinalist at the Middle Tennessee Fall Classic (Murfreesboro, TN)...Quarterfinalist at the Arizona State Thunderbirds Invitational (Tempe, AZ)...2-1 in singles and doubles (w/Jeremy Bayon) at the Mississippi Invitational (Oxford, MS).
SPRING--Notched team-best, 16-3 singles and 16-4 doubles records while playing in 19 of MSU's 20 dual matches during his initial team season...Was 10-0 in singles at the No. 5 and 6 positions...Won the first nine dual matches of his career to open the spring...Paired with Bayon to win 10 of 11 team doubles matches to open the season as well...The tandem also made the round of 16 at the SEC Indoor Championships (Tuscaloosa, AL).
PRE-MSU:
Attended Lycee Fesch...Was a French junior doubles champion, teaming with former Bulldog Marco Baron...Also a French national junior quarterfinalist in singles.
PERSONAL:
Rene-Charles Combette was born May 10, 1978, in Ajaccio, Corsica...The son of Paul and Martine Combette...Favorite professional is Andre Agassi...Likes to play soccer as well...Holds a 3.54 grade point as an international business major.
COMBETTE'S CAREER SINGLES STATS
Season #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Dual SEC Overall Pct.
Fall 2002 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 3-4 .429
2001-02 -- 7-7 2-1 3-0 -- -- 12-8 5-4 16-14 .533
2000-01 0-2 0-3 1-6 0-1 -- -- 1-12 0-6 18-19 .487
1999-2000 -- -- 1-1 5-2 9-0 1-0 16-3 8-3 27-11 .711
TOTALS 0-2 7-10 4-8 8-3 9-0 1-0 29-23 13-13 64-48 .571
COMBETTE'S CAREER DOUBLES STATS
Season #1 #2 #3 Dual SEC Overall Pct.
Fall 2002 -- -- -- -- -- 4-4 .500
2001-02 14-6 1-0 -- 15-6 7-3 23-10 .697
2000-01 -- 3-2 10-3 13-5 4-4 21-11 .656
1999-2000 -- 9-3 7-1 16-4 8-3 21-11 .656
TOTALS 14-6 13-5 17-4 44-15 19-10 69-36 .657
