Rebel Netters Rally To Defeat No. 23 Tulsa 6-1

TULSA, Okla. The No. 5 nationally ranked Ole Miss men’s tennis team played without its top player, fell behind early in the match, but rallied to defeat No. 23 Tulsa 6-1 Sunday morning at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.  The Rebels concluded the weekend 2-0 with a 6-1 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday.

With Erling Tveit not in the lineup, the Rebels had to move up their doubles, against a team with two doubles’ teams in the top 15.  Ole Miss’s Jonas Berg and Kalle Norberg teamed up to post an 8-6 win at No. 3 doubles, but Tulsa’s No. 5 ranked team of Andy Connelly and Ross Cunningham edged 24^th-ranked Matthias Wellermann and Bram ten Berge 9-7 at No. 1. 

The point came down to the No. 2 position, with Robbye Poole and Jakob Klaeson losing a tiebreaker (7-5) to Tulsa’s 15^th-ranked Arnau Brugues and Ricardo Soriano.

Tulsa appeared to have an early edge taking three of the first sets in singles.  But Ole Miss was able to win three first sets, and turn all three of the other matches around to come out on top. 

Rebel Senior Robbye Poole put Ole Miss on the board with his impressive straight-set win (6-2, 6-2) against Alberto Sottocorno at No. 3 singles.

Kalle Norberg defeated Tulsa’s Ross Cunningham 6-4, 6-3 at No. 5 singles to give the Rebels their first lead (2-1) in the match.  They never relinquished it.

Junior Jonas Berg finished off Hurricane Will Gray in a second set tiebreaker for a 6-4, 7-6(4) win, making it 3-1 Ole Miss. 

Moments later, Jakob Klaeson, secured the Rebel victory with a comeback on court six.  After losing the first set 6-4 against Tulsa’s Andy Connelly, Klaeson won the second 6-2 to set up the deciding frame.  The Rebel senior held off Connelly 6-4 in the final set to clinch the perfect weekend for Ole Miss.

Junior Bram ten Berge, ranked No. 58, was up in the first set against 40^thth-ranked Ricardo Soriano, but couldn’t hold, as he lost it 7-5.  He came back strong in the second set for 6-1 and then finished off the Hurricane 6-3 in the third.

Matthias Wellermann, playing his first match ever at No. 1 singles, was playing one of the best players in college tennis in Arnau Brugues.   Brugues began the fall ranked No.3, but only played in two matches, therefore he is currently not ranked.  He has won the ITA All-American Championships.    The first two sets were like a heavyweight fight.  Brugues won the first one in a tiebreaker, and then Wellermann rallied to get the second one, also in a tiebreaker.  Wellermann jumped out to an early lead in the final set and went on to win 6-3 for the final point of the day.

The Rebels return home to get ready for the annual River Hills Mississippi Cup against arch-rival Mississippi State.  The Rebels and Bulldogs will square off Thursday, Feb. 7 beginning at 5 p.m. at the River Hills Club in Jackson, Miss.  To order tickets, call (601) 987-4438.

#5 Ole Miss 6

#23 Tulsa 1

 

DOUBLES

#1 Connelly/Cunningham (TU) def. Wellermann/ten Berge (OM) 9-7

#2 Brugues/Soriano (TU) def. Poole/Klaeson (OM) 9-8(5)

#3 Berg/Norberg (OM) def. Gray/Sottocorno (TU) 8-6

SINGLES

#1 Matthias Wellermann (OM) def. Arnau Brugues (TU) 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-3

#2 Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Ricardo Soriano (TU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

#3 Robbye Poole (OM) def. Alberto Sottocorno (TU) 6-2, 6-2

#4 Jonas Berg (OM) def. Will Gray (TU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)

#5 Kalle Norberg (OM) def. Ross Cunningham (TU) 6-4, 6-3

#6 Jakob Klaeson (OM) def. Andy Connelly (TU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations

February 3, 2008

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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