The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Tennessee
No. 16 Rebels Defeat No. 19 Vols 5-2
3/9/2012 | Men's Tennis
March 9, 2012
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The No. 16 ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team dropped a close doubles point, but rallied to win five singles matches to take a 5-2 win against No. 19 Tennessee here Friday at Barksdale Stadium.
With the win, the Rebels improved to 6-3 overall and 3-0 in the SEC as they travel to Athens, Ga. Sunday to face No. 6 Georgia at Noon CT. The Rebels are one of only three teams left undefeated in SEC play. Georgia and Kentucky both won to stay undefeated.
"We are thrilled to get this win on the road. Any time you win on the road in the SEC is phenomenal," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "We lost to them earlier in the year here indoors, and the guys were looking forward to this match. I am proud of them for rallying, after dropping a close doubles point, to get five singles wins. We're happy to be 3-0 in the SEC and looking forward to a great match at Georgia."
Tennessee won a close doubles point to take the early 1-0 lead. With Chris Thiemann out of the lineup, Marcel Thiemann moved down to No. 2 doubles with Adrian Forberg Skogeng, and the pair dominated 8-1. The Vols gained an early break at three and held for an 8-6 win. At No. 1 doubles, Nik Scholtz and Jonas Lutjen were up a break and serving against 17th-ranked Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese, but Scholtz was broken. The match would end up going to a tiebreaker, which the UT duo won 7-2 to clinch the point.
The Rebels rebounded nicely in singles, winning all six first sets. Freshman William Kallberg stepped up with a big win, defeating Tennessee's Jarryd Chapin 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 singles to put Ole Miss on the board. Kallberg had lost to Chaplin in the earlier meeting.
In a battle between the only two freshmen playing No. 1 singles this year in the SEC, 55th-ranked Scholtz continued his outstanding play taking out 36th-ranked Libietis 6-2, 6-4 to give the Rebels a 2-1 lead. Scholtz is now 7-1 at No. 1 singles and has won six in a row since losing to Libietis back in the January meeting.
"It was huge for both William and Nik to avenge earlier losses to these guys. They both played great, and we had to have it," Chadwick said.
With Chris Thiemann out of the lineup in singles, Johan Backstrom slid up to the No. 5 spot, and beat Edward Jones 6-4, 6-2 to put the Rebels within one of winning.
Needing one more point to win, Forberg Skogeng, playing in his first singles match of the season, stepped up at No. 6, coming back to win a huge first set 7-5 and dominating the second set 6-1 against Vol Taylor Patrick to clinch the victory.
Marcel Thiemann, ranked No. 46 in the nation, made it 5-1, defeating 95th-ranked Hunter Reese 7-6(4), 6-4 at No. 2 singles.
Tennessee's only win in singles, came at No. 3 where Brandon Fickey outlasted Lutjen 2-6, 7-6(5), 1-0(11).
Sunday's match against No. 6 Georgia will feature live scoring and live streaming. Go to www.OleMissSports.com to access the link.
Follow the Rebels on twitter at @OleMissMTennis and on facebook at www.facebook.com/OleMissMTennis.
#16 Ole Miss 5
#19 Tennessee 2
Doubles
1. Scholtz/Lutjen (OM) vs. Libietis/Reese (UT)
2. M. Thiemann/Forberg Skogeng (OM) def. Chaplin/Fickey (UT) 8-1
3. Jones/Swartz (UT) def. Kallberg/Backstrom (OM)
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. Nik Scholtz (OM) def. Mikelis Libietis (UT) 6-2, 6-4
2. Marcel Thiemann (OM) def. Hunter Reese (UT) 7-6(5), 6-4
3. Brandon Fickey (UT) def. Jonas Lutjen (OM) 2-6, 7-6(4), 1-0(11)
4. William Kallberg (OM) def. Jarryd Chaplin (UT) 6-4, 6-4
5. Johan Backstrom (OM) def. Edward Jones (UT) 6-4, 6-2
6. Adrian Forberg Skogeng (OM) def. Taylor Patrick (UT) 7-5, 6-1
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 3
