The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Tennis Falls to Alabama
6/21/1999 | Men's Tennis
March 11, 1999
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 6 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team fell to No. 28 Alabama 4-3 Thursday as Susheel Narla's 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Kristofer Stahlberg at No. 6 singles clinched the match for the Crimson Tide. The Rebels are now 9-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference.
Ole Miss started off the match by winning the doubles point. James Shortall and Martin Sjoqvist, ranked No. 6 in the nation, won their 13th consecutive match at No. 1 doubles as they downed Francisco Rodriguez and Ariel Rivero 8-3. Vikrant Chada and Anders Stenman fell to Graydon Oliver and Alin Taranga 9-7, but Martin Selin and Stahlberg defeated Karim Zaher and Narla 8-6.
In singles action, the sixth-ranked Rodriguez downed No. 22 Shortall 7-5, 7-5 at the No. 1 spot. Taranga defeated Chada 6-3, 6-3 in No. 4 singles, and Mason Snider downed Selin 7-5, 6-4 at the No. 5 position as Alabama went up 3-1.
The Rebels evened the match 3-3 as Sjoqvist defeated Rivero 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 at the second spot and Stenman downed Oliver 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 at the third position. The match came down to the No. 6 singles match between Narla and Stahlberg. Each player won a set before Narla took the third set 6-4.
Ole Miss returns to action March 16 at No. 20 LSU for a 2 p.m. match.
#6 OLE MISS 3
#28 Alabama 4
SINGLES
#1Francisco Rodriguez (UA) def. James Shortall (OM) 7-5, 7-5
#2 Martin Sjoqvist (OM) def. Ariel Rivero (UA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
#3 Anders Stenman (OM) def. Graydon Oliver (UA) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
#4 Alin Taranga (UA) def. Vikrant Chada (OM) 6-3, 6-3
#5 Mason Snider (UA) def. Martin Selin (OM) 7-5, 6-4
#6 Susheel Narla (UA) def. Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
DOUBLES
#1 Shortall-Sjoqvist (OM) def. Rodriguez-Rivero (UA) 8-3
#2 Oliver-Taranga (UA) def. Chada-Stenman (OM) 9-7
#3 Selin-Stahlberg (OM) def. Zaher-Narla (UA) 8-6
