The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 13 Rebels to Host Arkansas
3/11/2015 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - After an exciting battle with the nation's No. 2 ranked team on Tuesday, the No. 13 ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team returns to Southeastern Conference action, hosting Arkansas Thursday at 5 p.m.
Rain is in the forecast, so the match could be indoors again to the Gillom Sports Center, where a crowd of more than 400 watched as the Rebels played No. 2 Baylor very close in a match that a few points here or there could have changed the outcome.
"We had a good match against Baylor that could have gone either way," head coach Toby Hansson said. The guys really enjoy playing in these types of matches, and that's what we are going to see from here on out in the SEC. Arkansas has a very good team, so we'll need to be ready for a battle. The crowd was tremendous Tuesday night, and we want to encourage them to come out again Thursday and help us take down the Razorbacks."
Last Time Out ...
In front of a boisterous packed house at the Gillom Sports Center Tuesday night, No. 13 Ole Miss gave No. 2 Baylor all they wanted despite playing without senior William Kallberg, before dropping a 4-1 decision. The match hinged on a close doubles point and a couple of three-setters at No. 2 and 3 singles. Senior Nik Scholtz picked up the lone win, defeating No. 4 Julian Lenz 7-6(8), 6-3. Both junior Stefan Lindmark and freshman Gustav Hansson went three sets with two of the top players in the nation, at No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively.
Scouting Arkansas ...
Arkansas (11-6, 1-2) split last week's matches. On Thursday, the Razorbacks played a tight match with Alabama at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center in Fayetteville, before clinching the 4-3 win at No. 1 singles. Saturday, the Razorbacks fell 4-0 at Mississippi State. The Razorbacks are led by junior Giammarco Micolani at No. 1 singles, with an 8-4 record.
Series ...
Ole Miss has dominated Arkansas. The Razorbacks won back-to-back matches in 1988 and '89, but it's been all Rebels since. The Rebels have won 27 straight in the series, including last year's 4-2 win in Oxford, which junior Stefan Lindmark clinched at No. 4 singles.
Top 10 in Attendance ...
In the first ITA Attendance Race Standings, the Rebels are ranked among the top 10 in average attendance with just three matches included in the first standings. Oxford has become a tough place to play, with the Rebels holding a 150-28 home record dating back to 2000. Baylor head coach Matt Knoll was very complimentary of the atmosphere here before and after the match. Here is what he said following Tuesday night's match.
"We think they are a great program and we think Toby (Hansson) is a really good coach. He had his guys ready to go. The crowd was very active, which made for a great college tennis atmosphere."
National Rankings ...
In the latest ITA National Rankings, the Rebels are ranked No. 13. In the singles rankings, Nik Scholtz is ranked No. 23 and Stefan Lindmark is ranked No. 82. In the doubles rankings, senior William Kallberg and freshman Gustav Hansson are ranked No. 38.
Did You Know? ...
The Rebels have been ranked in the top 15 in the nation at least once during 21 of the last 22 years.
Double Dip ...
Ole Miss is one of nine schools with both its men's and women's tennis teams in the ITA top 20. The women are ranked No. 16 in the nation.
Fins up ...
Senior Nik Scholtz, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, owns a pretty good record overall during his career, but he's been quite impressive at home lately. Scholtz owns an 18-match home win streak, which includes back-to-back top -10 wins. Tuesday night he beat No. 4 Julian Lenz in straight sets.
Match Scoring Format ...
There are several changes to the format of matches this year. All matches will feature no-ad scoring. Also, there will be no warm-up with the opponent prior to each doubles and singles match.
• Doubles - Each doubles will be first to 6, by two. A regular tiebreaker (first to 7, by two) will be played if a set reaches 6-all.
• Intermission - There will be a five minute break between doubles and singles.
• Singles - Each singles match will be best 2-of-3 sets (first to 6, by two). A regular tiebreaker (first to 7, by two) will be played if a set reaches 6-all.
Live Coverage ...
Fans who can't make it out to the match can follow through and the live blog. Also follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissMTennis for updates throughout the match.
For more information on Ole Miss Men's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis.
Players Mentioned
