Men's Tennis Team In Top 10 Again

Dec. 7, 1999

OXFORD, Miss. - In the first collegiate tennis ranking of the 1999-2000 season the Ole Miss men's tennis team is ranked as the No. 6 team in the nation. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Rebels have held a ranking in the nation's top 10.

The ranking, compiled by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, is based upon 1999 NCAA Division I finish, returning players and fall results.

The Rebels return five of the six starters from last year's SEC regular season championship team. The 1999 squad reached the NCAA Final Four and ended the year ranked No. 3 in the nation.

"We return the core of last year's team, and they know what it takes to be successful in the SEC and at the NCAAs," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "As with last year's team, our strength is in our depth, and with team matches, we feel we are strong at every position. I have been very impressed with the dedication and hard work each player has put in this fall."

Ranked No. 1 in the nation is UCLA followed by LSU, Stanford, Duke and Florida. Baylor, Georgia, Tennessee and Illinois round out the top 10. The SEC leads all conferences in the nation with nine teams in the Top 25.

"Last year three of the four teams in the NCAA Final Four were from the Conference with Georgia winning the National Championship," Chadwick said. "The SEC could be even stronger this year."

Sophomores Martin Selin and Kristofer Stahlberg, two of the Rebels most consistent performers, are ranked 76th and 99th respectively. Selin finished the fall with a 4-4 record and advanced to the main draw at National Clay Court Championships. Stahlberg posted a 5-4 record and reached the main draw at the All-American Championships.

Freshman sensation Alexander Hartman jumped up to No. 43 in the singles rankings after a successful debut this fall. Hartman finished the fall with a 16-5 overall record and advanced to the main draw at the National Clay Court Championships.

James Shortall, preseason ranked No. 18 and Anders Stenman, preseason ranked No. 45 give the Rebels five of the nation's top 100 players.

The Rebels will open up the 2000 season Jan. 20-23 at the SEC Indoor Championships in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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