The University of Mississippi Athletics
Three Rebels Earn NCAA Individual Bids
5/4/2016 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. - More good news came Wednesday with the announcement of the NCAA singles and doubles selections, as the Rebels are represented in both.
Sophomore Gustav Hansson earned his first ever bid to the 64-player singles field, while sophomore Zvonimir Babic and freshman Filip Kraljevic are among the 32-team doubles draw. This marks the second year in a row for Babic to compete in the doubles after participating as a freshman with four-time All-American Nik Scholtz.
Hansson has had an excellent season for the Rebels at the top of the lineup and last week earned All-SEC first team honors. He owns a 24-10 overall record, 16-6 in dual matches, including 4-2 at No. 1 singles.
Babic and Kraljevic have held down the No. 1 spot in doubles this year and come up with some big wins to help the Rebels win the point in 13 of 20 matches they played. In their last doubles match against Alabama, they came up big, knocking off the then-No. 4 ranked team to clinch the point in a 4-3 win for the Rebels.
"Gus has had a very good year and has been a key player for this team's success," head coach Toby Hansson said. "It's a nice bonus that he earned a spot in the NCAA singles championships. Zvonimir and Filip have handled playing at the top position of our doubles lineup very well. The have played a big part in us getting the doubles point more consistently this year. I believe all three can beat any player and doubles team in the country. I am excited for all of them earning a spot in the NCAAs."
Senior Stefan Lindmark is a second alternate in singles. He made the All-SEC second team and has been right on the cusp of making the field the latter part of the season.
"I hope Slick gets a chance to play as well," Hansson said. He really can play incredible tennis and could definitely make a run if he is playing well."
The Rebels earned their 23rd straight bid to the NCAA Team Championships and will face Denver in the first round May 14 at 11 a.m. CT in Berkeley, California.
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
