The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Defeat USC
6/21/1999 | Men's Tennis
March 11, 1998
COLUMBIA, S.C. - The No. 8 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team lost the doubles point but rallied in singles play to defeat 28th-ranked South Carolina 4-3 Tuesday in SEC action. The Rebels improve to 10-2 overall, 2-0 in the SEC, while the Gamecocks drop to 9-2 overall, 1-2 in conference play.
South Carolina took the opening doubles point with wins at the No.1 and 3 positions. Jerome Jourdon and Vladimir Pavicevic downed Sebastien DeChaunac and Martin Sjoqvist 8-2 at the top spot and then Olof Akesson and Guillame Legat beat Barry Hassell and James Shortall 8-3 at No. 3 doubles.
DeChaunac knocked off seventh-ranked Pavicevic 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles to even the match at 1-1. The 1997 SEC Tournament MVP has now won 25 out of his last 26 dual matches against SEC opponents dating back to his freshman year. In SEC play, DeChaunac has only lost three conference matches since 1996.
The Gamecock's Legat defeated Sjoqvist 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles and Jourdon rallied to defeat Rebel freshman, Lami, at No. 3 singles, but those were the only two wins for South Carolina. Ole Miss used three straight wins at the No. 4 through 6 positions to seal the victory.
"This is an outstanding South Carolina team," Head coach Billy Chadwick said. "They are strong at the top of the lineup. We had our backs to the wall after we lost the doubles point. I am proud of the guys for coming back and playing well in singles and especially the freshmen for coming through at the No. 5 and 6 spots."
Sophomore Vikrant Chada defeated Akesson 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles and freshman Anders Stenman dominated Tomasz Wawrzyniak 6-0, 6-2 at the fifth spot. The match came down to No. 6 singles, and Shortall was there again. He won in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) over Remy Nagel to clinch the win for the second straight match.
The Rebels will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday for a 1:00 p.m. match against the 23rd-ranked Volunteers. Tennessee has reeled off eight straight including an upset (4-3) of 16th-ranked Auburn Tuesday. Ole Miss defeated Tennessee 7-0 last year in Oxford.
#22 South Carolina 3
#8 Ole Miss 4
SINGLES
#1 Sebastien DeChaunac (OM) def. Vladimir Pavicevic (USC) 6-2, 6-3
#2 Guillaume Legat (USC) def. Martin Sjoqvist (OM) 6-1, 6-4
#3 Jerome Jourdon (USC) def. Sebastien Lami (OM) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
#4 Vikrant Chada (OM) def. Olof Akesson (USC) 7-5, 6-3
#5 Anders Stenman (OM) def. Tomasz Wawrzyniak (USC) 6-0, 6-2
#6 James Shortall (OM) def. Remy Nagel (USC) 6-3, 6-2
DOUBLES
#1 Pavicevic-Jourdon (USC) def. DeChaunac-Sjoqvist (OM) 8-2
#2 Lami-Chada (OM) def. Jeff Bergman-Nagel (USC) 8-3
#3 Legat-Akesson (USC) def. Shortall-Barry Hassell (OM) 8-3
