The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tulane
Rebel Netters Handle Tulane; Ready For Georgia
3/26/2002 | Men's Tennis
March 26, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 5 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team handled 28th-ranked Tulane 7-0 Tuesday afternoon at the Gillom Sports Center to improve to 12-3 overall as they get set for a showdown with defending NCAA Champion, Georgia on Friday. The match was played indoors due to frigid temperatures.
The Rebels took the early lead by winning the doubles point. Ole Miss won at No. 2 doubles by a score of 8-3 and then Tulane claimed the No. 1 spot 8-6. Ole Miss' Catalin Gard and Paul Ciorascu had a 6-1 lead at No. 3 doubles against Jorge Lievano and Hannu Piiorinen before the Tulane pair would rally to tie it 7-7. The Reb duo won the final two games to clinch the point.
It didn't take long for the Rebels to win their sixth match in a row, with strong singles play at the top of the lineup. Gard improved to 10-3 in dual matches with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Mattias Westerberg at No. 3 singles. Alex Hartman, ranked No. 25 in the nation, defeated 18th-ranked Michael Kogan 6-2, 6-4 at the top spot to make it 3-0. He has won five in a row and six of his last seven matches.
Senior Kristofer Stahlberg, ranked No. 43 in singles, held off a solid 59th-ranked Victor Romero at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the win for the Rebels. Stahlberg has also won five in a row, and he has defeated five ranked opponents in his last seven matches.
"This was an excellent performance from top to bottom against a very solid Tulane team," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "We would like to encourage all fans to come out Friday to watch the Rebs battle the defending NCAA Champion."
Ole Miss closed out the sweep with wins at the bottom three positions. Martin Selin defeated Lievano 6-2, 1-6, 10-6 at No. 4 singles, Ciorascu downed Alex Dion 6-0, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot, and Claes Lindholm rallied to beat Piiorinen 3-6, 6-1, 10-7 at No. 6 singles. Lindholm is 13-1 in dual matches and has won 12 of his last 13.
The Rebels and the Bulldogs will square off Friday at 1 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
#5 Ole Miss 7
#28 Tulane 0
SINGLES
#1 Alex Hartman (OM) def. Michael Kogan (TU) 6-2, 6-4
#2 Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) def. Victor Romero (TU) 6-4, 6-4
#3 Catalin Gard (OM) def. Mattias Westerberg (TU) 6-3, 6-0
#4 Martin Selin (OM) def. Jorge Lievano (TU) 6-2, 1-6, 10-6
#5 Paul Ciorascu (OM) def. Alex Dion (TU) 6-0, 6-3
#6 Claes Lindholm (OM) def. Hannu Piiorinen (TU) 3-6, 6-1, 10-7
DOUBLES
#1 Kogan-Romero (TU) def. Stahlberg-Selin (OM) 8-6
#2 Hartman-Chucri (OM) def. Dion-Westerberg (TU) 8-3
#3 Gard-Ciorascu (OM) def. Lievano-Piiroinen (TU) 9-7
