Men’s Tennis Looks Ahead to Busy Weekend of Matches

			OLE MISS (4-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. Alabama State (3-7, 2-0 SWAC) Friday, Feb. 24 • 9 a.m./12 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center vs. SMU (6-4, 0-0 AAC) Sunday, Feb. 26 • 12 p.m. CT • Oxford, Miss. Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center
Live Stats (ASU Match One) • Live Stats (ASU Match Two) • Watch (Alabama State) Live Stats (SMU) • Watch (SMU)

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss men's tennis team will continue their Oxford homestand this weekend with a trio of matches against Alabama State and SMU on February 24 and 26.

The Rebels (4-2, 0-0 SEC) start off the weekend with a doubleheader against Alabama State (3-7, 2-0 SWAC) on Friday with match times slated for 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. CT. The squad will then turn around to play host to SMU (6-4, 0-0 AAC) on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.

Weather permitting, all three matches will be played at the Palmer/Salloum Outdoor Tennis Center. In the event of inclement weather or a drop in temperature, matches will be moved indoors to the William F. Galtney Tennis Center.

Live scoring and live video for both matches will be available to the public. Links to both can be found above as well as on the Ole Miss men's tennis schedule page.

Rebels in the Rankings

Rebel senior Nikola Slavic remains the lone Ole Miss men's tennis player to find a spot in the ITA rankings for singles play, with Slavic settling in the No. 68 position in the nation. With a record of 8-5 in 2022-23, the reigning ITA All-American is coming off of two ranked singles wins for the Rebels over the previous two matches. He sits tied with John Hallquist Lithen at a team-high three ranked wins on the season so far.

Singles Get it Done Against Tulane

Ole Miss found their way back into the win column with a hard-fought 5-2 victory over the Tulane Green Wave two weeks ago in Oxford. Despite dropping the match's doubles point to open the day, the Rebels fought hard to win five out of six singles matches to clinch the non conference win at Galtney Tennis Center. The match was headlined by Nikola Slavic earning his second consecutive ranked singles win over then-No. 87 Fynn Kuenkler, as well as John Hallquist Lithen earning the match-clinching victory in No. 2 singles after going to three sets.

Can't Stop Slavic

After tallying his second straight ranked singles win of the season, senior Nikola Slavic has started to hit his stride for the Rebels as the team nears the end of their non conference schedule for the year and enters SEC play. Having defeated the No. 11 and No. 87 ranked players in the nation, Slavic now aims to continue his hot streak in the No. 1 singles position for the squad against Alabama State and SMU.

Spring Schedule Picks Up for Ole Miss

The Rebels are preparing for what will be a busy 11-day stretch in Oxford, as Ole Miss will be set to host a total of seven matches over that span, including two doubleheaders. Following this weekend's trio of matches against Alabama State and SMU, the Rebels will be right back at it on Thursday, March 2 to host St. John's. The team then will open their SEC calendar with a rivalry matchup against No. 20 Mississippi State on March 4. Ole Miss then closes out the team's non conference schedule on Monday, March 6 by hosting Belmont for a doubleheader.

Team Profile: Alabama State

The Alabama State Hornets (3-7, 2-0 SWAC) enter their doubleheader against the Rebels riding a two-match conference win streak after earning sweeps against the likes of Mississippi Valley State and Jackson State. The Hornet team is headlined by the singles play of David Jeanne Grandinot and Ruan Du Preez, who have split time amongst each other as the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players on the team. Jeanne Grandinot leads the way for ASU, having tallied a team-high five singles wins on the year with two of those wins coming on Court 1 for singles. The Hornets also feature a talented No. 3 doubles pairing of Matis Amier and Alexandre Verlaguet, who have now won their past six matches as a tandem and sit 6-1 on the year when playing together.

Team Profile: SMU

Southern Methodist (6-4, 0-0 AAC) will serve as a great challenge for the Rebel squad in their matchup on Sunday, as the Mustangs currently hold the No. 68 position in the latest edition of the ITA's NCAA team rankings. The Mustangs have had a difficult schedule to open their spring season, matching up against a total of five teams currently ranked within ITA's Top 75. SMU's lineup has shaken up numerous times already in the young spring season, but the Mustangs will be headlined by the No. 55 ranked doubles pairing in the country in Pranav Kumar and Adam Neff. The duo currently holds a 6-3 record when playing together in 2022-23, as well as a 3-1 record in dual matches this spring. Sophomore Louis Cloud leads the charge for the Mustangs in singles, possessing a record of 14-4 as well as an unblemished 6-0 singles record in dual matches.

Team Promotion: Mardi Gras

Fans that attend Friday's doubleheader against Alabama State will be able to take part in a Mardi Gras celebration with the Ole Miss men's tennis team that includes king cake as well as a variety of prizes.

Follow the Rebels on Social

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, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.

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Players Mentioned

Nikola Slavic

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