The University of Mississippi Athletics
Big Weekend on Tap for Rebels
4/13/2016 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - Two years ago, the Ole Miss men's tennis team needed a big win to help its postseason chances, and they got it. The Rebels conclude the regular season this weekend hosting South Carolina and No. 6 Georgia looking to improve their resumé.
Friday, the Rebels will battle the Gamecocks at 5 p.m., at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, weather permitting. Sunday, Ole Miss will celebrate seniors Stefan Lindmark and Vinod Gowda on Senior Day at 1 p.m., against the Bulldogs.
Promotions...
Fans coming to Friday's match will enjoy free chicken tenders from Abner's and the first 150 fans will receive a t-shirt of Stefan Lindmark. Sunday's match includes free Ole Miss Tennis court towels.
Last time out...
Ole Miss defeated Vanderbilt 5-2 in Nashville on Sunday in their last match. The Rebels won the doubles point and then won three of four three-setters in singles to secure their fourth straight win against the Commodores. Gustav Hansson defeated then 37th-ranked Daniel Valent to clinch his fourth match this season. Zvonimir Babic and Fabian Fallert also earned singles wins to set up Hansson.
Scouting South Carolina...
South Carolina won two of three matches last weekend. The Gamecocks (12-13, 3-7) topped Auburn, 4-3, on Friday for their third conference win. Carolina then split a Sunday doubleheader, falling to No. 14 Florida before sweeping South Carolina State. Sophomore Gabriel Friedrich has won three of his last four singles matches and ranks a career-best No. 60.
Scouting Georgia...
Georgia has won 12-straight matches and has earned at least a share of the 2016 SEC regular season title. The Bulldogs are led by senior Austin Smith at the top spot. Smith, ranked No. 24, owns a 10-4 record at No. 1 singles. Sophomore Wayne Montgomery is ranked No. 34 with a 7-6 record at No. 2 singles. The Bulldogs boast the No. 7 team in doubles with Smith and Ben Wagland.
Rebels vs. Gamecocks and Bulldogs...
After playing both teams on the road two straight years, Ole Miss hosts the Gamecocks and Bulldogs for the first time since 2013. The Rebels defeated South Carolina 4-2 last year in Columbia and lost to Georgia 4-0 in Athens and then again, 4-1, in a tight match in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament. The last time the Rebels beat Georgia came in 2013 in Oxford, 4-3.
National Rankings...
The Rebels are ranked No. 32 in the latest Oracle/ITA National Rankings. Sophomore Gustav Hansson moved up to No. 51 in singles with his seven-match win streak. Senior Stefan Lindmark is ranked No. 66. In doubles, Zvonimir Babic and Filip Kraljevic are up to No. 24.
Quoting Head Coach Toby Hansson...
"We are playing well right now and excited to host South Carolina and Georgia this weekend to close out the regular season. We have lots of fun giveaways planned and we are celebrating our seniors. The guys really enjoy playing in front of a big crowd, so we want to encourage everyone to come out support the team and help send the seniors off with two wins."
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
