Tennis Players Advance To Main Draw At National Clay Courts

Sept. 22, 1999

BALTIMORE, Md. - Several members of the Ole Miss men's and women's tennis teams advanced to the main draw of the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships Wednesday at the Suburban Country Club.

Lady Rebel senior Mariana Eberle advanced to the main draw by defeating Marketa Blazkova of South Alabama 8-2 in the final round of qualifying. Due to heavy rains on Tuesday, all matches were played as pro sets.

Freshman Mira Radu won her first two matches before falling to Jahnavi Parekh (Baylor) 8-4 in the final round. This was her first loss of the season as she won the Roberta Alison Fall Classic this past weekend.

The Lady Rebels will have four players represented in the main draw singles with seniors Celeste Frey and Ivona Mihailova chosen as automatic selections. In doubles, Frey and Eberle will team up. They reached the finals at last year's clay courts.

On the men's side, freshman Alexander Hartman won both his matches to get into the main draw. Hartman downed Johannes Michalsky of Baylor 8-2 in the first round and then defeated Tennessee's Paul Podbury 8-4, in the second round. Competing in his first tournament as a Rebel, Hartman has won five matches to reach the main draw including three in the prequalifying.

Sophomore Kristofer Stahlberg lost to Texas' Nick Crowell 8-3, in round one of qualifying.

Late Tuesday night, Rebels' Fredrik Mellin and Martin Selin won their second round doubles match against John Cheregi and Andreas Morfidakis of DePaul, 8-4 to advance to the main draw doubles.

The Rebels will have three singles players competing in the main draw including James Shortall and Selin. In doubles, Mellin and Selin will join Shortall and Stahlberg, who qualified automatically.

T. ROWE PRICE NATIONAL CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS - Baltimore, Md.
QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

WOMEN'S SINGLES
FIRST ROUND - Mariana Eberle (OM) def. Brooke Hart, (Michigan) 8-3, Mira Radu (OM) def. Marlene Mejia (UNC) 8-5, SECOND ROUND - Eberle (OM) def. Renate Stoop (BSU) 8-6, Radu (OM) def. Ana Radeljevic (ODU) 8-4, THIRD ROUND - Eberle (OM)* def. Marketa Blazkova (USA) 8-2, Jahnavi Parekh (Baylor) def. Radu (OM) 8-4.

MEN'S SINGLES
FIRST ROUND - Nick Crowell (UT) def. Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) 8-3, Alexander Hartman (OM) def. Johannes Michalsky (BU) 8-2, SECOND ROUND - Hartman* (OM) def. Paul Podbury (UT) 8-4.

MEN'S DOUBLES
SECOND ROUND - Fredrik Mellin/Martin Selin* (OM) def. John Cheregi/Andreas Morfidakis (DePaul) 8-4.

*Advances to main draw

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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