Rebel Netters Advance To Quarterfinals At ITA Southeast Regional

LEXINGTON, Ky. Ole Miss men’s tennis players Jakob Klaeson and Chris Rea advanced to the quarterfinals at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships Sunday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center.

The pair will face the No. 1 seeded team of Andreas Silejstrom and Marco Born of Middle Tennessee for the second time this fall. Klaeson and Rea defeated the No. 3 nationally-ranked team earlier in the year to win the Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational.

Klaeson and Rea won two tiebreakers in the second and third rounds to reach the quarterfinals.

In singles, the Rebels placed one player in the quarterfinals and three in the round of 16.  Chris Rea of Madison won three matches on his way to the quarterfinals.  He beat his first two opponents with little trouble before holding off Georgia’s Josh Varela 7-6(10), 7-5 in the round of 16. 

Rea was scheduled to play Middle Tennessee’ No. 1 player, Andreas Silejstrom, in that round, but the Blue Raider withdrew, so Rea advanced to the final eight where he lost a tough three-setter to the nation’s No. 5 ranked player, Travis Helgeson, of Georgia.  Rea won the first set 6-4, but Helgeson came back to take the second and third sets by the same score. With his tournament, Rea improved to 6-5 on the fall.

Juniors Robbye Poole and Bram ten Berge reached the round of 16.  Poole lost to LSU’s top player, Ken Skupski, who is ranked No. 12 in the nation, in three sets.  Poole won the first set 6-3, but Skupski rallied to take the second 6-3 and the third 6-4.  With his 3-1 record at the regionals, Poole is now 10-3 on the fall.

ten Berge won three matches, before falling to Florida’s Greg Ouellette, ranked No. 26 in the country, 6-2, 6-2 to end his run. 

ITA SOUTHEAST REGIONAL LEXINGTON, Ky.

SINGLES

First round Jakob Klaeson (OM) def. Lucas DeBrito (AP) 6-4, 6-0; Chris Rea (OM) def. Daniel Balog (GS) 6-2, 6-4; Robbye Poole (OM) def. Emmanuel Nikouleue (GSU) 6-3, 6-2; Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Tim Mittiga (UTC) 6-1, 6-2; Greg Ouellette (UF) def. Fredrik Aarum (OM) 6-4, 6-2.  Second round Klaeson (OM) def. Chris Racz (UT) 7-6(3), 6-3; Rea (OM) def. Marcus Echtler (SU) 6-4, 6-0; Poole (OM) def. Lars Gratzi (EKU) 6-4, 6-0; ten Berge (OM) def. Nejc Podkrajsec (GSU) 7-6(4), 6-4.  Third round Travis Helgeson (UGA) def. Klaeson (OM) 6-3, 6-2; Rea (OM) def. Josh Varela (UGA) 7-6(10), 7-5; Poole (OM) def. Henning Hipp (USF) 6-3, 6-1; ten Berge (OM) def. Daniel Vallverdu (Miami) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.  Round of 16 Rea def. Andreas Siljestrom (MTSU) Walkover; Ken Skupski (LSU) def. Poole (OM) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Ouellette (UF) def. ten Berge (OM) 6-2, 6-2.  Quarterfinals Helgeson (UGA) def. Rea (OM) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

DOUBLES

First round Poole/ten Berge (OM) def. Motes/Varela (UGA) 8-2; Klaeson/Rea (OM) def. Hipp/Svigelj (USF) 8-4.  Second round Buikema/Thibaudeau (UA) def. Poole/ten Berge (OM) 8-5; Klaeson/Rea (OM) def. Echtler/Krivca (SU) 9-8(4). Third round Klaeson/Rea (OM) def. Bes/Mertz (UA) 9-8(6).

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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