The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Netters Edge Kentucky
6/21/1999 | Men's Tennis
March 30, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. -- Vikrant Chada, of the No. 6 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team, clinched the SEC Championship for the Rebels last year. On Monday, he stepped up again for the Rebels, clinching a huge 4-3 victory over 17th-ranked Kentucky at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
With the Rebels leading 3-2, Chada broke his opponent Johan Hesoun to go up 5-2 in the third set, and held serve to perserve the win for the Rebels, who improve to 14-4 overall, 5-2 in the SEC. Kentucky drops to 14-7 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
"This was a great victory for our team, especially against a good Kentucky team" Head Coach Billy Chadwick said. "It was a total team effort. We are pleased that the heart of our lineup came through today, when our top two were not at their best. We are looking to close our home season with two wins this weekend against Auburn and Vanderbilt."
Ole Miss took the opening doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and 2 positions. Sebastien DeChaunac and Martin Sjoqvist defeated Marcus Fluitt and Hesoun 8-5 at No. 1 doubles. Kentucky's Ed Bawono and Carlos Drada beat James Shortall and Barry Hassell 8-5 at the third position, but Chada and Sebastien Lami sealed the point with a 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles.
In singles, Kentucky evened the match after Spaner handed Rebel Anders Stenman a 6-1, 7-6(5) loss at No. 6 singles. Shortall gave the Rebels a 2-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Patrick Johansson at No. 5 singles. Kentucky's Fluitt held off Lami in the second set tiebreaker to win 6-4, 7-6(7) and square the match at 2-2.
Sjoqvist was up a set and had broken to go ahead 5-4 in the second set, when his opponent, Drada, pegged a ball at an Ole Miss player watching the match, and was defaulted, giving Sjoqvist the win (6-3, 6-4). That win put the Rebels up 3-2 with Chada in the third set. The Wildcats other point came at No. 1 singles where eighth-ranked Kauffmann knocked off seventh-ranked DeChaunac 7-6, 5-7, 6-3.
The Rebels will close out the homestand Friday with Auburn at 1:30 p.m., and then they will host Vanderbilt Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
#6 Ole Miss 4
#17 Kentucky 3
SINGLES
#1 Cedric Kauffmann (UK) def. Sebastien DeChaunac (OM) 7-6, 5-7, 6-3
#2 Marcus Fluitt (UK) def. Sebastien Lami (OM) 6-4, 7-6(7)
#3 Martin Sjoqvist (OM) def. Carlos Drada (UK) 6-3, 6-4
#4 Vikrant Chada (OM) def. Johan Hesoun (UK) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
#5 James Shortall (OM) def. Patrick Johansson (UK) 6-3, 6-4
#6 Dan Spaner (UK) def. Anders Stenman (OM) 6-1, 7-6(5)
DOUBLES
#1 DeChaunac-Sjoqvist (OM) def. Fluitt-Hesoun (UK) 8-5
#2 Lami-Chada (OM) def. Kauffmann-Spaner (UK) 9-7
#3 Shortall-Barry Hassell (OM) def. Drada-Bawono (UK) 8-5
