The University of Mississippi Athletics
On Serve: Q&A with Coach Hansson
11/30/2015 | Men's Tennis
With the fall season complete, OleMissSports.com caught up with second-year Ole Miss men's tennis head coach Toby Hansson to get his thoughts on the returning players, the freshmen and the upcoming spring season.
OleMissSports.com: With the fall season over, give us your overall thoughts?
Hansson: Overall we had a good fall. I saw a lot of progress from top to bottom. The guys were focused in practice and each player made improvements in their game. Obviously there are things we still need to work on, but overall we are pleased with the direction we are headed and looking forward to an exciting spring.
OleMissSports.com: Talk about the two seniors, Stefan Lindmark and Vinod Gowda. They've been around for awhile. How's their leadership been?
Hansson: Stefan and Vinod have done a tremendous job every day of working hard and leading by example for the rest of the team. Success requires everyone to be on the same page, and with their leadership, the entire team has bought in to what we are trying to accomplish. Both have been a huge part of our success the last few years and they want to go out on top.
OleMissSports.com: Talk about some of the other returnees, Gustav Hansson, Zvonimir Babic, Ricardo Jorge, Grey Hamilton and Robert Mounger.
Hansson: Ricardo is in his third year with us and has improved each year. Gustav, Zvonimir and Grey all gained valuable experience last year, playing as freshmen in the toughest conference in the nation. Robert played lot of matches this fall, after redshirting last year. They've all made strides in their individual games and worked hard physically and mentally, to position themselves for a great spring.
OleMissSports.com: Talk about the new players, Filip Kraljevic and Fabian Fallert. What did you see from them this fall?
Hansson: Filip and Fabian fit right in from the moment they stepped on campus. Both possess a tremendous work ethic and drive. They are very excited to be here, and Ole Miss fans will enjoy watching them the next few years. Filip and Fabian have done a great job with what we've asked them to do and more. We are looking forward to seeing them help this team accomplish great things.
OleMissSports.com: You have to be excited you won the first tournament of the year in doubles and seeing the improvement there.
Hansson: I'm really pleased with our improvement in doubles. Obviously when you win the doubles point, you give yourself a much better chance to win the overall match. Our records prove that if we get the doubles point 80 to 90 percent of the time we win the match. Every match we play this year, especially in the SEC, will be close; therefore the doubles point will be very important.
OleMissSports.com: Obviously you had a great player at No. 1 the last few years, but talk about the depth of this team?
Hansson: We had a tremendous player at No. 1 last year, but we also had an excellent player at No. 2 and a really solid player at No. 3. We have a lot more depth this year. I feel confident that we can win at any position. Some of our most successful years since I've been a coach here, we won a lot at four, five and six. In 2008 and 2009, we had great players at four, five and six, who later ended up playing at the top of the lineup in their careers. These guys are capable of achieving the same type of success.
OleMissSports.com: Did the fall give you any more clarification, without getting into specifics, on the lineup for the spring?
Hansson: Certainly there are some players that have earned accolades and have a little more experience, but everybody is capable of playing at a high level. Whether you are playing at No. 1 or No. 6, they both count for one point. Every spot in the lineup is important to the overall success of the team.
OleMissSports.com: You have a pretty good schedule in the spring with a lot of really good matches here, talk about the schedule.
Hansson: We have a very exciting home schedule with Mississippi State, Georgia and Texas A&M among the top teams visiting Oxford. We have plenty of evening matches on our schedule to allow more fans the opportunity to attend after work. The fans have been a big part of our success throughout the years, and we want to encourage everyone to mark their calendars for what promises to be a fun spring.
OleMissSports.com: The team finished in the top 20 last year and most of the lineup is back, with the addition of Filip and Fabian. Has the team discussed the goals for 2016?
Hansson: We strive to be the best. Every time we step on the court, we play to win. The guys know that if we work hard in practice and have a great attitude the results will come. Obviously, we want to compete for the SEC Championship, and if you're doing that, then you're contending for a national championship as well.
For more information on Ole Miss Men's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.
Players Mentioned
