The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Tennis Team to Host Ole Miss Indoor Championships
6/21/1999 | Men's Tennis
October 27, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. - Some of the best tennis players in the nation will take to the courts this weekend, as the nationally-ranked University of Mississippi men's tennis team hosts the Ole Miss Indoor Tennis Championships Thursday-Saturday at the Women's Indoor Complex across from Tad Smith Coliseum.
The 32-player singles draw will feature national powers Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Tennessee. The tournament will begin at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, while Friday's matches will start at 8 a.m. The final will be played at 9 a.m., Saturday prior to the Ole Miss/LSU game.
"All three teams are projected to be in the top 10 in the nation and contenders for the SEC crown this spring," Rebel head coach Billy Chadwick said. "Our plans are to make this an annual event and we appreciate the support of SkyTel for making this possible."
Ole Miss, a two-time SEC Champion and 1995 NCAA Finalist, finished the 1998 season ranked No. 6 in the nation and advanced to the quarterfinals at the NCAA Championships for the fourth consecutive year. The Rebels ended the 1998 season ranked No. 6 in the nation, their fifth straight top 10 finish.
Leading the Rebels is junior Martin Sjoqvist, who is currently ranked No. 25 in the nation in singles. He advanced to the finals of the Arizona State Invitational earlier this fall. Vikrant Chada, also a junior, comes in ranked 44th in the country.
Sophomore James Shortall has had an excellent fall posting a 9-3 record in three tournaments. He advanced all the way from the prequalifying at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships to the main draw, in his first collegiate grand slam.
Rebel fans will also get a chance to see a couple of newcomers in action - Martin Selin a freshman from Sweden and freshman Bo Petro of Madison, Miss.
Mississippi State, a 1998 semifinalist at the NCAA Championships, is led by Matthieu Ballay, ranked No. 34 in the nation, Jeremy Bayon, ranked 43rd and Marco Baron, ranked 72nd . Baron captured the Mississippi Intercollegiate singles and doubles titles this fall.
Tennessee was one of the most improved teams last year and returns its entire squad. They ended the year ranked 19th in the nation and first-year head coach Michael Fancutt was named SEC Co-Coach of the Year.
