Rebel Netters Head To Kentucky For ITA Southeast Regional

OXFORD, Miss. The Ole Miss men’s tennis team will be in Lexington, Ky., this weekend competing in the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships hosted by the University of Kentucky.

The Southeast Region is regarded as the nation’s toughest region with six teams finishing the 2006 season ranked among the nation’s top 25.  Georgia finished as the national runner-up, while Ole Miss, Florida and Miami made the NCAA “Sweet Sixteen.”

The 128-player draw features 21 players in the preseason national rankings, including three in the top 30.  The 64-team doubles draw includes nine nationally-ranked teams. The four-day event begins Friday and concludes Monday with the singles and doubles finals.

The winner of the ITA Southeast Regional receives an automatic berth into the ITA National Indoor in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 2-5.

Ole Miss will have a strong contingent at the Southeast Regional, despite the absence of its No. 1 player and tournament defending champion, Erling Tveit.  Tveit, ranked No. 8 in the nation, had to pull out at the last minute.

“Erling pulled something in his back, and we didn’t want him to go up there and try to play a match and then have to retire or withdraw,” head coach Billy Chadwick said.  “With his ranking, he’ll qualify for the National Indoor.”

Junior Bram ten Berge enters the Southeast Regional ranked No. 97 in the nation, while junior Robbye Poole comes into the tournament ranked No. 118 with a 7-2 record this fall. 

Jakob Klaeson, who played No. 6 in the lineup for the Rebels last year, advanced to the third round of the main draw at the All-American Championships two weeks ago and is 7-3.

In doubles, Klaeson will team up with Chris Rea again, and Poole and ten Berge will be the other Rebel duo.  Klaeson and Rea come into the championship with one title to their credit this fall, as they won four consecutive matches to claim the Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational, including taking down the No. 3 nationally-ranked team from MTSU.

To find out how the Rebels do, go to www.olemisssports.com and click on the tournament central link on the men's tennis page.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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