.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA First Round - Duke
Men's Tennis Wins NCAA Opener
5/12/2018 | Men's Tennis
PALO ALTO, Calif. - For the 25th consecutive year, the Ole Miss men's tennis team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 4-3 win against Duke in the first round Saturday at Taube Tennis Stadium.
The Rebels will face No. 4 seed Stanford Sunday at 4 p.m. CT for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
With the Rebels trailing 3-2 and needing both final matches, junior Filip Kraljevic and senior Grey Hamilton delivered the knockout punch in two third sets. Kraljevic rallied from a set down to defeat Catalin Mateas 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to tie it at 3-3.
Hamilton, who hails from Southern Pines, North Carolina, won his first set 6-3, but then his opponent, Robert Levine, won the second set in a tiebreaker, 7-6(1) to force a third set. The third set was all Hamilton. He broke right away and went on to dominate 6-0 to clinch the victory.
The Rebels grabbed the early momentum in match with strong doubles from courts two and three. After Duke own on court one, Fabian Fallert and Finn Reynolds earned a 6-3 win on court three and then Zvonimir Babic and Kraljevic won 6-2 on court two to clinch the point and the 1-0 lead.
Tim Sandkaulen made it 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Nick Stachiowak at No. 2 singles, but then Duke answered with wins on courts one, five and six to go up 3-2.
In his first match back since March 9, senior Gustav Hansson, ranked No. 45, faced No. 19 Nicolas Alvarez. One break decided each set in favor of Alvarez 6-3, 6-4. Duke's Sean Sculley beat Fallert 6-2, 6-2 on five and then Ryan Dickerson topped the freshman, Reynolds, 6-2, 6-3 on six.
Quick Hits…
• The Rebels are now 15-12 overall.
• The Rebels improved to 52-26 in the NCAA Tournament.
• Ole Miss will face the No. 4 seed Stanford Sunday at 4 p.m. CT for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.
• Filip Kraljevic and Zvonimir Babic won their third straight match at No. 2 doubles.
• Fabian Fallert and Finn Reynolds improved to 4-1 at No. 3 doubles.
• Tim Sandkaulen improved to 13-9 in dual matches and 6-3 at No. 2 singles.
• Grey Hamilton clinched the Rebels' first round win for the second year in a row after clinching in 2017 against UCSB.
#38 Ole Miss 4, #28 Duke 3
Doubles
1. #48 Nicolas Alvarez/Catalin Mateas (DU) def. #22 Tim Sandkaulen/Grey Hamilton (OM) 6-2
2. #62 Zvonimir Babic/Filip Kraljevic (OM) def. Sean Sculley/Nick tachowiak 6-2
3. Fabian Fallert/Finn Reynolds (OM) def. Jason Lapidus/Ryan Dickerson 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. #19 Nicolas Alvarez (DU) def. #45 Gustav Hansson (OM) 6-3, 6-4
2. #33 Tim Sandkaulen (OM) def. Nick Stachiowak (DU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Filip Kraljevic (OM) def. Catalin Mateas (DU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
4. Grey Hamilton (OM) def. Robert Levine (DU) 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-0
5. Sean Sculley (DU) def. Fabian Fallert (OM) 6-2, 6-2
6. Ryan Dickerson (DU) def. Finn Reynolds (OM) 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 5, 6, 3, 4
At the Net with Head Coach Toby Hansson…
"That was a top-10 caliber lineup we faced today, and I am really proud of how the team fought for the win. It was a classic college match that came down to the last court, and it was fitting that a senior from North Carolina finished it. We had a couple of really good practices leading up to today. The guys were excited to play, and it really showed in doubles. We came out with a lot of energy. It was good to see Gus back in the lineup, and he did a great job of competing for the team."
Senior Grey Hamilton…
"It's always a great feeling to clinch, especially in the NCAA Tournament, but today was very special being that it is my last tournament. Additionally, being from North Carolina made it pretty cool, to clinch against one of the powerhouse universities from my home state. Overall it was another unforgettable experience playing today, and I know I speak for the whole team by saying we can't wait to get back out there against Stanford."
Next up…
The Rebels will No. 4 seed Stanford Sunday at 4 p.m. CT for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. Fans can follow the match with live video/scoring.
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
