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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA Individual Championships
Rebel Netters Bow Out Of NCAA Singles Championship
5/21/2003 | Men's Tennis
May 21, 2003
ATHENS, Ga. - It was not a good day for members of the Ole Miss men's tennis team, as all three NCAA singles participants lost in the first round at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the University of Georgia campus.
Senior Alex Hartman, the seventh seed, was knocked out of the NCAA Championships by Pepperdine's Calle Hansen, 6-3, 6-4. Hartman ends his final singles campaign at 28-11. He enjoyed a stellar career that included becoming only the second Rebel to win 100 career matches and the first to earn All-SEC honors all four years. He will compete in the doubles competition with Claes Lindholm, which begins Thursday.
Junior Paul Ciorascu saw his 13 match winning streak come to an end with a three-set loss to Baylor's Benjamin Becker. Becker, ranked No. 41, won the first set 6-1 and then Ciorascu, ranked No. 30, came back to take the second 6-0. The two battled back and forth in the third set until Becker broke and won 6-4. Ciorascu, in his third season, enjoyed an outstanding campaign finishing at 39-11. He earned All-SEC honors.
Sophomore Catalin Gard, ranked No. 23, waited around through rain delays and then finally had to move indoors, where he faced Illinois' top player and the nation's No. 3 ranked player, Amer Delic. The two battled to a first-set tiebreaker, but Delic won it and went on to take the second set 6-4.
NCAA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP - ATHENS, Ga.
First Round
Benjamin Becker (BU) def. Paul Ciorascu (OM) 6-1, 0-6, 6-4; Calle Hansen (PU) def. Alex Hartman (OM) 6-3, 6-4; Amer Delic (ILL) def. Catalin Gard (OM) 7-6, 6-4.
