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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Florida
Men's Tennis Upset By Florida 4-3
3/1/2002 | Men's Tennis
March 1, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Freshman Hamid Mirzadeh's win over Ole Miss'Alex Hartman clinched a 4-3 upset win for the No. 26 Florida men's tennis team against the sixth-ranked Rebels on Friday evening in both schools' SEC opener. The Rebels slip to 5-2, 0-1 SEC, while Florida improves to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in the SEC with the win.
The Gators got a strong push towards an upset by taking the doubles point to open play. Florida cruised to an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles in 31 minutes. Ole Miss evened things with an 8-5 win at No. 3 on its fifth match point. The Rebels' No. 1 duo of Kristofer Stahlberg and Martin Selin lost to Florida's Chris McDonald and Hamid Mirzadeh 8-5 to seal UF's doubles point win.
The Rebels fell behind 2-0, when Selin, ranked No. 82, dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision to Trey Johnson at No. 5 singles. The score closed to 2-1 Florida when Levant was forced to retire due to injury at No. 3 singles. Catalin Gard lost the opening set 6-2, but came back to take the second 6-1, and was ahead 3-0 in the third, when Levant retired.
Paul Ciorascu led 6-5 in the opening set and was serving for it against UF's Troy Hahn. Hahn saved a triple set point and eventually won the set in a tiebreaker. Hahn would convert on the first of a double match point in the second set for a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win. Ole Miss cut the deficit to 3-2 when Claes Lindholm finished off his 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6 over Ross Greenstein.
Mirzadeh sealed the victory for the Gators with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 1 over Hartman. Play concluded with Rebel Stahlberg rallying from a 5-2 third set deficit to beat #47 Eleazar Magallan, 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (5), handing the Gator junior his first dual match loss of the season.
The Rebels will try to rebound from the disappointing loss Sunday, when they travel to face the South Carolina Gamecocks, who upset 13th-ranked Mississippi State 4-3 on Friday.
#26 Florida 4
#6 Ole Miss 3
SINGLES
#1 Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) def. Alex Hartman (OM) 6-4, 6-2
#2 Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) def. Eleazar Magallan (UF) 6-4, 0-6, 7-6(5)
#3 Catalin Gard (OM) def. Olivier Levant (UF) 2-6, 6-1, 3-0 ret. inj.
#4 Troy Hahn (UF) def. Paul Ciorascu (OM) 7-6 (3), 6-3
#5 Trey Johnson (UF) def. Martin Selin (OM) 6-1, 6-3
#6 Claes Lindholm (OM) def. Ross Greenstein (UF) 6-4, 6-4
DOUBLES
#1 Chris McDonald-Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) def. Martin Selin-Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) 8-5
#2 Olivier Levant/Eleazar Magallan (UF) def. Partick Crucri-Alex Hartman (OM) 8-2
#3 Catalin Gard-Claes Lindholm (OM) def. Troy Hahn-Ryan Sherry (UF) 8-5
