The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA Individual Championships
Tveit Reaches Quarterfinals In NCAA Singles
5/26/2006 | Men's Tennis
May 26, 2006
PALO ALTO, Calif. - For the second year in a row, the Ole Miss men's tennis team will have a representative in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championships, as sophomore Erling Tveit rallied to defeat Arkansas' Adrians Zguns in three sets Friday at the Taube Tennis Center.
Both players struggled early on in the first set to hold serve with winds gusting to upwards of 25 mph at times. Tveit broke to start the match, but couldn't hold. Zguns finally held his serve for a 3-2 lead and then broke Tveit to go up 4-2. He went on to win it 6-2.
The two battled back and forth in the second set until at 4-4, Tveit gained a break and held (6-4) to square the match.
In the final set, Tveit saved four break points in the second game and then at 2-2, broke Zguns. Tveit went on to win 6-2 and advance to the quarterfinals in his first NCAA Singles Championships appearance. The ITA Southeast Region Player to Watch improved to 34-8 on the year.
"Erling did a great job of battling the windy conditions," head coach Billy Chadwick said. He had to work hard to win the match. We are very proud of him for reaching the final eight, and hopefully he can keep it going."
This marked the third meeting between the two players this year, and Tveit has won all three. He downed Zguns in straight sets in the regular season meeting between the two teams in Fayetteville, and then beat him again in straight sets in the quarterfinal round of the SEC Championships.
For the second time in a week, Tveit will face Travis Helgeson of Texas, as the two meet up in the quarterfinals Saturday not before Noon. They faced off at No. 1 singles in the NCAA Team Championships round of 16 match between Ole Miss and Texas last Saturday. Tveit was leading 4-2 in the third set when the Longhorns clinched the match. Helgeson beat Ryler DeHeart of Illinois 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the final eight.
An All-SEC first team selection, Tveit is seeking to join former All-Americans Joakim Appelqvist (1994), Johan Hede (1996) and Sebastien DeChaunac (1997) as NCAA Singles Semifinalists.
Only two of the top eight seeds and two 9-16 seeds, remain in the field of 64.
NCAA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS - PALO ALTO, Calif.
Third round - Erling Tveit (OM) def. Adrians Zguns (ARK) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
