Men's Tennis SEC Tournament Champions

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. The No. 2 seeded Ole Miss men’s tennis team downed fourth-seeded Florida 4-1 to capture the SEC Tournament Championship here Sunday at the Billingsley Tennis Center.  This marks the Rebels (21-4) second tournament championship as they also captured the event in 1997.

“We knew that we were going to have to play great to beat Florida because they just came off of a big win against Georgia,” head coach Billy Chadwick said. “Florida beat us (in Oxford) this year during the regular season. If we weren’t at our best, we weren’t going to have a chance.”

Senior Erling Tveit, ranked No. 30 in the nation, saved his best match of the year for the SEC Tournament final, taking down the nation’s No.2 ranked player, Greg Ouellette, in straight sets to clinch the championship for the Rebels.  Tveit won the first set 6-4 and then raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never looked back, winning 6-2 to clinch.

“It was great (clinching),” Tveit said.  I was struggling in the beginning of the match, but I was able to hang in there.  Fortunately, I was able to get a break and serve for the first set.  I got up 3-0 in the second and gained the momentum.  I hadn’t finished a match in the tournament, so I guess it was my turn.”

Junior Jonas Berg was named the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, and he earned it, going 4-0 in singles and doubles on the weekend.  In singles, he lost only nine games in three matches. The two-time All-SEC honoree has now won 12 in a row.  His 6-1, 6-3 win over Gator Jeff Dadamo at No. 4 singles gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead. 

“It’s fun,” Berg said.   “I played very well. I am excited.  The whole team played great this weekend.  Erling and I played extremely well in the last couple of matches (in doubles).  In singles, I am playing well. I am hitting the ball well, and I have a lot of confidence.”

Ole Miss won the doubles point for the third day in a row to go up 1-0 on the Gators.   Jakob Klaeson and Tucker Vorster downed Geoffrey Barton and Tyler Hochwalt 8-4 at No. 3 to improve to 8-1 since teaming up on March 8.  Tveit and Berg, ranked No. 5, clinched the point with an 8-4 win over Dadamo and Ouellette at No. 1.  The Rebels improved to 116-7 since 2002, when they claim the doubles point.

In the regular season meeting, Ole Miss won the doubles point as well, but Florida played better in singles, including taking wins at Nos. 5 and 6.  This time however, the Rebels were ready at those spots.  Sophomore Kalle Norberg avenged a loss to Hochwalt in the regular season meeting, defeating him 7-5, 6-3 to put the Rebels up 3-1, setting up Tveit’s match-clinching win.

When the match was stopped, Ole Miss was up a set on court six and tied 6-6 in the second and up 2-1 in the third on court three.

“Our seniors really wanted to make this tournament something to remember,” Chadwick said.  “This is really a tribute to them. We have four seniors on this team led by Erling Tveit. Erling saved his best match for the last day to take down Greg Ouellette to win the conference championship and beat the No. 2 player in the country. It was a great effort by the seniors.”

The Rebels will take a few days to rest and recuperate and get ready for the NCAA Championships, where they are likely to earn a high seed. The field of 64 and the 16 regional host sites will be revealed April 29 at 2 p.m. on ESPNews.

SEC MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.

Final

#6 Ole Miss 4, #12 Florida 1

 

DOUBLES

1. Berg/Tveit (OM) def. Dadamo/Ouellette (UF) 8-4

2. Wellermann/Poole (OM) vs. Lacroix/Briceno (UF) 8-7, sus.

3. Klaeson/Tucker Vorster (OM) def. Geoffrey Barton/Hochwalt (UF) 8-4

Order of Finish: 3, 1

SINGLES

1. Erling Tveit (OM) def. Greg Ouellette (UF) 6-4, 6-2

2. Nestor Briceno (UF) def. Matthias Wellermann (OM) 6-3, 6-2

3. Robbye Poole (OM) vs. Alex Lacroix (UF) 3-6, 7-6(6), 2-2, sus.

4. Jonas Berg (OM) def. Jeff Dadamo (UF) 6-1, 6-3

5. Kalle Norberg (OM) def. Tyler Hochwalt (UF) 7-5, 6-3

6. Jakob Klaeson (OM) vs. Erik Corace (UF) 7-5, 6-6, sus.

Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 1

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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