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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
UK Invitational
Rebel Tennis Continue Play At Fluitt Invitational Saturday
9/28/2002 | Men's Tennis
Sept. 28, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. - After posting a perfect 2-0 mark Friday, Ole Miss senior Alex Hartman dropped his first match of the fall season in Saturday action at the 2002 Charles Fluitt Invitational.
Hartman won his second match late Friday with a tough 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 win over Kentucky's Evan Austin, but was unable to keep his streak going Saturday. The No. 19-ranked player in the nation lost a narrow three-setter to Kentucky's Rahim Esmail, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Hartman had his second match of the day against Tulane's Michael Kogan cancelled.
Catalin Gard and Paul Ciorascu went 1-1 in their matches Saturday. Gard, ranked No. 67 in the nation, dropped a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (6) match to Kogan, who is ranked No. 17. Gard won his second match of the day, a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Esmail. Ciorascu lost a hard-fought 7-6 (5), 7-5 match to Kentucky's Jesse Witten, who is ranked No. 1 in the country, but bounced back with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Kentucky's Karim Benmansour.
Claes Lindholm fell to Middle Tennessee's Daniel Klemetz, 5-7, 6-1, 3-0, retiring in the final set. Lindholm then defaulted his second match of the day against Vanderbilt's Chad Harris.
In the Flight B singles consolation, freshman David Donaldson defeated Eastern Kentucky's Brian Stephenson, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the finals.
The Rebels continue play Sunday at the Charles Fluitt Invitational.
This weekend's action included a ranked flight and two singles flights. The ranked flight is made up of players currently ranked in the top 100 ITA rankings, as well as those ranked at some point in their career. All players in the ranked flight will play a round robin of five matches over the three days.
2002 Charles Fluitt Invitational - Lexington, Ky. (hosted by University of Kentucky)
Saturday's Results
Ranked Flight
Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Alex Hartman (OM), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5); vs. Michael Kogan (TU), cancelled
Michael Kogan (TU) def. Catalin Gard (OM), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (6); Gard (OM) def. Rahim Esmail (UK), 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
Jesse Witten (UK) def. Paul Ciorascu (OM), 7-6 (5), 7-5; Ciorascu (OM) def. Karim Benmansour (UK), 6-3, 6-4
Daniel Klemetz (MTSU) def. Claes Lindholm (OM), 5-7, 6-1, 3-0 (ret.); vs. Chad Harris (VU), defaulted
Flight B/Consolation
David Donaldson (OM) def. Brian Stephenson (EKU), 6-4, 6-2
Late Friday Result
Ranked Flight
Alex Hartman (OM) def. Evan Austin (UK), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2
