The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA Regionals - Middle Tennessee
Men's Tennis Sweet Sixteen Bound
5/12/2002 | Men's Tennis
May 12, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - The No. 7 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team is headed to College Station, Texas for the Sweet Sixteen. The Rebels (19-5) defeated Middle Tennessee (17-8) 4-1 Sunday afternoon at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
This marks the eighth time the Rebels, SEC Western Division Champions, have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. They have reached the quarterfinals five times and the Final Four three times.
"It was a great team effort, because Middle Tennessee played really well," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "We had one of our best efforts of the year in doubles, especially at No. 2. We got into a little bit of trouble in singles. Catalin Gard at No. 3 singles was a big momentum shift. Stahlberg's comeback in the second set gave us a lot of confidence. We played three tie-breakers and won all three. That was the difference. We've won two and have four more to go."
The Rebels, took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles in exciting fashion. Ole Miss won at No. 2 doubles 8-5. With the Rebs down 7-2 on court one, Patrick Chucri and Catalin Gard, playing together for only the second time, won a tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles over Michael Staniak and Trevor Short. The Blue Raider pair won the first point and then Gard and Chucri rattled off seven straight points to clinch the doubles point.
Middle Tennessee tied the match when Staniak defeated Rebel senior Martin Selin 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles. Ole Miss regained the lead (2-1) as Paul Ciorascu finished off MT's Kirk Jackson 6-4, 7-6(1) at the No. 5 spot.
Gard did as he has all year for the Rebels. He came up with a huge win at No. 3 singles to give Ole Miss a 3-1 lead. Gard won a first-set tiebreaker over Blue Raider Robert Gustafsson 7-6(2) and went on to take the second set 6-0. He has now won eight in a row and 11 of his last 12.
On court one Alex Hartman was down a set and leading 4-3 in the second, while Stahlberg had split sets and was up 2-1 in the third at No. 2 singles. Ole Miss, however, would not need those two matches, as sophomore Claes Lindholm beat MT's Short 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6 singles to send the Rebels to the Sweet Sixteen. Lindholm has won eight in a row and 13 of his last 14 matches. He improves to 21-2 on the year in dual matches.
"It's the first time for me to go to the Sweet Sixteen," Hartman said. "It's awesome to play on a team with such good players. We felt we were more prepared to play in the heat than they (MT) were. Every round from now on is tough, but we feel that we can go all the way."
The Rebels will meet the winner of the Pepperdine/Minnesota match in the Sweet Sixteen next Saturday. Times will be announced Monday by Texas A&M.
2002 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS - OXFORD, Miss.
SECOND ROUND
#1 Ole Miss 4 (19-5)
#3 Middle Tennessee 1 (17-8)
SINGLES
#1 Alex Hartman (OM) vs. Daniel Klemetz (MT) 4-6, 4-3, sus.
#2 Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) vs. Oliver Foreman (MT) 1-6, 6-2, 2-1, sus.
#3 Catalin Gard (OM) def. Robert Gustafsson (MT) 7-6(2), 6-0
#4 Michael Staniak (MT) def. Martin Selin (OM) 6-3, 6-1
#5 Paul Ciorascu (OM) def. Kirk Jackson (MT) 6-4, 7-6(1)
#6 Claes Lindholm (OM) def. Trevor Short (MT) 6-4, 6-3
DOUBLES
#1 Stahlberg-Selin (OM) vs. Gustafsson-Foreman (MT) 7-2 MT, sus.
#2 Hartman-Lindholm (OM) def. Klemetz-Jackson (MT) 8-5
#3 Gard-Chucri (OM) def. Staniak-Short (MT) 9-8(1)
