The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 14 Rebels Back on the Road
4/8/2015 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. -- After a big weekend at home, the No. 14 Ole Miss men's tennis team is looking to take some of their home magic on the road this weekend for the final two matches of the regular season, as they face South Carolina and No. 8 Georgia.
The Rebels will meet the Gamecocks Thursday at 4 p.m., CT at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia. The Rebels will then travel to Athens to take on Georgia Saturday at 4 p.m., CT at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
"This is a tough road trip," head coach Toby Hansson said. "We face a gritty South Carolina team who are very competitive. We beat them earlier in the season at the ITA Kickoff. Georgia has obviously been one of the top programs in the country for a long time. We are focused on one match at a time, but I feel like if we keep playing as well as we did last weekend, we'll give ourselves a chance."
Last Time Out ...
Easter weekend proved to be a good one in Oxford. The Rebels shut out both Tennessee and Kentucky to improve to 15-6 overall and 7-3 in SEC play. The Rebels are 10-1 at home and 6-0 in league play. During the Tennessee match, doubles partners, Nik Scholtz and Zvonimir Babic knocked off the reigning NCAA doubles champions and then-No. 2 team in the nation 6-4, to clinch the point and give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead. Junior Stefan Lindmark defeated Jack Schipanski at No. 2 singles to clinch the victory. Saturday, the Rebels honored seniors William Kallberg and Nik Scholtz and then snapped a six-match losing streak to Kentucky. Freshman Grey Hamilton played his first SEC singles match and won in straight sets.
Mr. Clutch ...
Nik Scholtz might get a lot of attention because he is the reigning SEC Player of the Year, but junior Stefan Lindmark is a big reason the Rebels are ranked No. 14 in the nation and in a position to host an NCAA Regional. The Stockholm, Sweden native is 12-3 at No. 2 singles and 7-0 in the SEC.
Scouting South Carolina ...
The Gamecocks (12-13, 2-8) are coming off losses to Alabama and Mississippi State last weekend. South Carolina is led by Andrew Adams at No. 1 singles. Their best player to date record-wise, Harrison O'Keefe, is out with an injury. Prior to getting injured he was 20-8 overall and 13-4 in dual matches.
Series ...
The Rebels own a 22-7 lead in the all-time series with South Carolina. Ole Miss has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including a 4-2 win earlier this year in the championship of the ITA Kickoff to advance to the National Team Indoor.  Â
Scouting Georgia ...
Georgia's 10-match winning streak came to an end at Mississippi State last Friday with a 4-2 loss. The Bulldogs (17-3, 9-1), ranked No. 8, defeated Alabama 4-1 on Sunday. They boast the No. 1 doubles team in the nation, juniors Austin Smith and Ben Wagland, and also have three players in the top 35 in singles.
Series ...
This marks the second year in a row for the Rebels to travel to Athens to face the Bulldogs. Georgia leads the all-times series 37-10, including a 4-0 win last year. The Rebels last beat the Bulldogs in 2013, a 4-3 win in Oxford.
National Rankings ...
In the latest ITA National Rankings, the Rebels still sit at No. 14. In the singles rankings, Nik Scholtz dropped one spot to No. 16, but he has a win over the current No. 1, Julian Lenz of Baylor. Stefan Lindmark is ranked No. 84. In the doubles rankings, senior Nik Scholtz and freshman Zvonimir Babic made their debut at No. 46 after beating the No. 2 team in the nation last week.
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 can follow the South Carolina match with live scoring. Saturday's match will feature live scoring as well as a live chat. Also follow the Rebels on Twitter at @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
