Rebel Netters Down Marist In NCAA First Round

OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss men’s tennis team, seeded No. 5 overall, needed just two hours to down Marist College 4-0 Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Championships at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. They will face the Vanderbilt, a 4-3 winner over Indiana, Sunday at Noon for the right to go to the Sweet Sixteen in Tulsa, Okla.

“We got that one behind us,” head coach Billy Chadwick said.  “In the beginning, the guys were a little nervous. We hadn’t played in three weeks. It kind of showed when we had some double faults and missed what I would consider easy balls. So I feel that we accomplished a lot today by getting a match behind us. The thing you find about every match is that you get pushed in different ways, and it was nice to find that we can play strong in several different positions.

“They’ve been doing a really good job of working around exams, but there is nothing like stepping out on the court, looking up and it’s close to a packed house. All of a sudden you realize that it’s time to play. It was really a great first-round match with a tremendous crowd. We appreciate them coming out on graduation morning, and I want to encourage everybody to come out again tomorrow.”

The Rebels came out firing and never let up.  Tucker Vorster and Jakob Klaeson downed Marcus von Nordheim and Landon Greene 8-2 at No.3 doubles to improve to 9-1.  Erling Tveit and Jonas Berg showed why they are ranked No. 5 in the nation, dominating MC’s Loic Pisecky and Jack Famiglio 8-1 at No. 1 to clinch the point.

Junior Bram ten Berge returned to the lineup in doubles and singles, after missing the last nine matches due to an injured foot. Back at 100 percent, he was first off the court in singles, downing Anton Oliver 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6 to make it 2-0.

ten Berge’s doubles partner, Matthias Wellermann, defeated MC’s von Nordheim, 6-3, 6-0 on court two, setting up teammate Robbye Poole’s 6-0, 6-0 match-clinching win at No. 3. Afterwards, ten Berge talked about his first match back in almost two months.

"I felt like I was ready to go (on the doubles), but it’s always hard after awhile of not playing together to come back and get everything like a well-oiled machine. It’s just not going to happen. Those guys (Marist), you have to give them some credit. They hit some good shots.  It was hard. It definitely wasn’t as comfortable as we would like it.

“After the first couple of games (in singles) you are always a little nervous.  It’s the same for everybody, because we haven’t played in two weeks, but for me it’s been seven or eight now. Once I got that first break I started rolling, and after that I was very comfortable.”

The Rebels defeated the Commodores 6-1 during the regular season meeting, and own a 1-0 record all-time against Indiana. 

NCAA MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS OXFORD, Miss.

 

#4 Ole Miss 4

Marist 0

 

DOUBLES

1. Berg/Tveit (OM) def. Pisecky/Famiglio (MC) 8-1

2. Wellermann/ten Berge (OM) vs. Sessagesimi/Marks (MC) 6-6, sus.

3. Jakob Klaeson/Tucker Vorster (OM) def. von Nordheim/Greene (MC) 8-2

Order of Finish: 3, 1

SINGLES

1.Erling Tveit (OM) vs. Loic Sessagesimi (MC) 6-0, 5-0, sus.

2.Matthias Wellermann (OM) def. Marcus van Nordheim (MC) 6-3, 6-0

3. Robbye Poole (OM) def. Nicolas Pisecky (MC) 6-0, 6-0

4. Jonas Berg (OM) vs. Greg Marks (MC) 6-2, 2-1, sus.

5. Kalle Norberg (OM) vs. Landon Greene (MC) 6-2, 4-2, sus.

6. Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Antonio Oliver (MC) 6-1, 6-0

Order of Finish: 6, 2, 3

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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