Rebel Netters Take Down No. 7 Florida 4-2

GAINESVILLE, Fla.   The No. 2 nationally ranked Ole Miss men’s tennis team battled a six-hour rain delay here Friday at the Scott Linder Tennis Stadium and then fought back after dropping the doubles point to defeat the No. 7 Florida Gators 4-2.  The Rebels return home to host No. 16 South Carolina Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

With the Rebels leading 3-2, senior Jonas Berg sealed the deal, dominating the third set against Florida’s Carlos Cueto, 6-2, to give the Rebels a 15-2 overall record, 5-0 in the SEC.  It also marks the Rebels third win in a row against the Gators and second this year, as the beat them at the ITA National Team Indoor in February.

Berg, ranked No. 31, won a huge first set tiebreaker 7-6(3), but then Cueto, ranked No. 24, rallied to win the second 6-3.    

“The doubles was very close, and we actually had chances to win the point,” head coach Billy Chadwick said.  “The guys played exceptional in singles to win at No.1, 2, 3, and 4.  This is one of the biggest wins we’ve had.  Beating them down here is very big. They don’t lose many matches here.  We are so pumped, and we’ll be ready Sunday.”

The two teams started the doubles and were well into it, when the rain came.  The Rebels were actually up 7-6 and serving at No. 2 doubles before the delay and tied at 7-7 on court two.

After the two teams waited out the long delay, Florida (11-6, 2-3) gained the upper hand early, by closing out the doubles point.  Ole Miss held on to at No.1 9-7, but Florida won 8-6 at No. 3 and 9-8(8) at No. 2.

The Gators then took a 2-0 lead when Jeff Dadamo shut out Rebel freshman Marcel Thiemann 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6.  That would be it for the home team.

Ole Miss got on the board when senior Bram ten Berge defeated Antoine Benneteau 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.  Junior Kalle Norberg evened the match with an impressive 6-2, 6-2 win over Tyler Hochwalt on court three.  

Getting the final two points proved to be exciting, with three matches remaining.  Freshman Devin Britton, ranked No. 34 in the nation, came back to defeat 14th-ranked Gator Alex Lacroix 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to put the Rebels ahead 3-2, before Berg clinched it.  

When the match was stopped, Ole Miss freshman Otto Sauer was up in the third set against Joey Burkhardt.

The Rebels have now defeated five consecutive Top 25 teams to begin conference play.  They will try to make it six straight on Sunday, when they host the No. 16 Gamecocks.  

DOUBLES

1. Berg/ten Berge (OM) def. Benneteau/Burkhardt (UF) 9-7

2. Dadamo/Hamui  (UF) def. Britton/Tucker Vorster (OM) 9-8(8)

3. Lacroix/Cueto (UF) def. Norberg/Sauer (OM) 8-6

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1

SINGLES

1. Jonas Berg (OM) def. Carlos Cueto (UF) 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2

2. Devin Britton (OM) def. Alex Lacroix (UF) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

3. Kalle Norberg (OM) def. Tyler Hochwalt (UF) 6-2, 6-2

4. Bram ten Berge (OM) def. Antoine Benneteau (UF) 6-1, 6-4

5. Otto Sauer (OM) vs. Joey Burkhardt (UF) DNF

6. Jeff Dadamo (UF) def. Marcel Thiemann (OM) 6-0, 6-0

Order of Finish: 6, 4, 3, 2, 1

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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