SPOTLIGHT: Inseparable

Sept. 27, 2011

By Kim Ling
Associate Athletics Media Relations Director

Identical twins Marcel Thiemann and Chris Thiemann share everything - the same school, same major, same classes, same residence, same sport, same team and the same dream; WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN TENNIS.

The twin standouts are seniors this year and have championship experience. During their career at Ole Miss, the Rebels have won the SEC Championship, the SEC Tournament Championship and two SEC West titles. Together, they form one of the top doubles teams in the nation.

The secret to their success is their togetherness; since they were born they've practically been inseparable.

"We hear it from other people that a lot of twins don't get along, but we do," said Marcel, born eight minutes before Chris and taller by an inch. Chris echoed those sentiments. "Of course we have little arguments from time to time, but nothing major."

"They demand a lot of each other," said assistant coach Toby Hansson. "If one of them makes a mistake that they normally don't make, then the other one will let him know it. They have high expectations of each other."

They started playing tennis at the age of four, introduced to the game by their parents, who played the game for fun. By the time they were six, the twins were practicing with a private coach. Later, they would start playing in junior tournaments in Europe.

The fun part of being a twin, Marcel says, is playing jokes on people. He recalled a funny story.

"We were playing in what used to be called a Tennis Europe (ITF) Tournament for U-16. One week, I made it to the finals, but Chris got the points for it. The second week I played in the finals again and beat Chris in the first round, and he got the points. He got the points for two weeks and was ranked No. 40 in Europe, and they didn't know it wasn't me."

Even though Marcel was ranked higher during their junior days, when they were deciding where to go to college, the Thiemanns never even considered splitting up.

"It was a package deal," Marcel said. "It was great that Ole Miss needed two players."

Fortunately, for the Rebels, the twins already had a connection to Ole Miss. Former All-American Matthias Wellermann and the twins played on the same club team in Germany.

"Matthias told us about Ole Miss. We were playing in a big challenger tournament back home near Hanover, and (Rebel assistant coach) Toby (Hansson) showed up to watch us."

Both said it's the best decision they've ever made.

Asked what he liked best about Ole Miss, Chris couldn't name just one thing. "The people, the campus, the coaches, the tennis team. I love everything about Ole Miss."
"I would do it all over again, and I would recommend Ole Miss to everyone," Marcel added.

It couldn't have worked out better for the Rebels. Both arrived in the spring of 2009 and immediately helped the team advance to the NCAA Elite Eight, and capture the SEC Championship with an undefeated league record as well as the SEC Tournament Championship.

The following year, Marcel became the 25th All-American in the history of the program and repeated that feat last year advancing to the NCAA Singles Quarterfinals for the second year in a row.

Steady as a rock, Chris has clinched many big wins for the Rebels including the SEC West Championship victory against Alabama in 2010 and last year's win over Florida on the road.

As already stated, the duo has become one of the top doubles teams in the nation, presently ranked No. 2 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Rankings. In 2010, Marcel and Chris went 10-1 in the SEC earning their first of consecutive appearances in the NCAA Doubles Championship.

"It's definitely an advantage if you play with the same partner for a long time, because you get used to them," Marcel said. "When you play doubles, it's always important to know your partner, to know what he's doing well and what he's not doing well. Our games complement each other."

Can they do what one famous set of twins (Bob and Mike Bryan) have done at the next level?

"Absolutely that's what everyone wants to do," they both said. "A lot of players are making it in doubles, and we intend on giving it a shot."

Whether they take their game to the next level and make it big or use their degree in managerial finance, both are focused only on the present right now.

"We want to win the NCAA Championship," Marcel said. "And, we want to win another SEC Championship and SEC Tournament title," Chris added. Both said the main goals are team oriented, but there is some unfinished business as individuals.

"We've been there (NCAA Championship) twice now in doubles, and lost first round both times. We want to get to No. 1 by the end of the year, but that's a secondary goal. The team comes first."

Are you ready?

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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