The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA Individual Championships
Tveit Marches Into NCAA Singles Semifinals
5/27/2006 | Men's Tennis
May 27, 2006
PALO ALTO, Calif. - Ole Miss sophomore Erling Tveit marched into the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship Saturday with a straight set win over Travis Helgeson of Texas.
Helgeson gained an early break in the first set to go up 3-1. He served for the set at 5-4, but Tveit, in his first appearance in the NCAA Singles, broke to pull even. Both players held serve for 6-6, but Tveit won the tiebreaker, 7-4 to gain the momentum.
At 2-2 in the second set, Tveit gained a break and never looked back. Helgeson saved three match points in the ninth game, but Tveit served it out for 6-4. With the win, Tveit improved to 35-8 on the season.
"We are so excited for Erling to be in the semifinals in his first appearance," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "At 5-4 in the first set, Helgeson was getting tight, and Erling took advantage of it, and then played a great tiebreaker. In the second set, Erling was able to get the break, and then serve it out. He served really well in the second set."
"I was able to hold my serve and he got tight when he was serving out the set at 5-4," Tveit said. "I was lucky to get the first set. I got a break in the second set and was able to hold my serve and serve it out. There is not much difference in the top 20-30 players out here."
An All-SEC first team selection, Tveit joined former All-Americans Joakim Appelqvist (1994), Johan Hede (1996) and Sebastien DeChaunac (1997) as NCAA Singles Semifinalists.
Tveit, the ITA Southeast Region Player to Watch, will face No. 1 ranked and top seeded Benjamin Kohlloeffel of UCLA in the Final Four Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. Kohlloeffel defeated California's Conor Niland 6-4, 6-2 to advance.
NCAA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS - PALO ALTO, Calif.
Quarterfinals - Erling Tveit (OM) def. Travis Helgeson (UT) 7-6(4), 6-4
