The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Men’s Tennis Increases Win Streak to Nine, Defeats Arkansas 4-2
3/9/2023 | Men's Tennis
Rebels Win Singles on Courts 1-4 to Secure 2-0 Start in SEC Play
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Ole Miss men's tennis team notched another conference victory to their belt on Thursday, as the No. 35 Rebels took down No. 44 Arkansas on the road, 4-2, for their ninth straight match win.
The Rebels (12-2, 2-0 SEC) had a slow start to their match, dropping the doubles point to the Razorbacks (12-3, 0-2 SEC), but with singles victories across the team's top four courts by Nikola Slavic, John Hallquist Lithen, Simon Junk and Lukas Engelhardt, Ole Miss got the job done to remain undefeated in conference play.
Ole Miss fell in its No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches to give Arkansas an early 1-0 advantage, but the Rebels' lull on the scoreboard wouldn't last much longer.
Fueled by strong singles play by Nikola Slavic on Court 1 and Lukas Engelhardt on Court 4, the Rebels quickly turned the tide by earning two straight-set singles victories, giving Ole Miss a 2-1 lead on the Razorbacks. Slavic, who entered the matchup ranked as the No. 69 singles player in the nation, now increases his singles win streak to five consecutive wins.
The Razorbacks responded back with a singles win of their own not long after, with Arkansas earning a 6-3, 6-4 win on Court 5 to draw the scoreboard back to even. Despite match points and tiebreakers, the remaining three Rebels all went to third sets to decide the day's match winner.
First, it was the veteran Simon Junk that teed up the Rebels for a clinching scenario, as the senior fought his way back through three grueling sets to earn a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 win, putting the team one win away. The win marks Junk's 74th singles win of his Rebel career, with the Marpingen, Germany, native now hitting 10 singles wins on the 2022-23 season.
"This was another tough match for us," Junk said. "Really proud of how we battled to stay in our matches and ultimately close them out. That's the start into the SEC season that we were hoping for, and we look forward to using this momentum next week against Florida and Auburn."
Just seconds after Junk won his match, junior John Hallquist Lithen played the role of match-clincher once again for the Rebels, with Lithen securing a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory. Lithen's singles win streak now increases to eight in a row, having dropped one singles match this spring while playing all of his matches in the No. 2 spot for Ole Miss.
"We all were pretty pumped to get into singles after dropping the doubles point," Lithen said. "Both Isac and Simon gave me a lot of energy when they turned their matches around, and we all were battling in our third sets until Jürgen [Junk] and I were able to take our sets 6-4 and 7-5. That was just a huge win on the road, and we're really happy and pumped to get that win."
Freshman Isac Strömberg's No. 6 singles match would end unfinished, but the first-year's effort would not go unnoticed with him battling to win a third set tiebreaker 8-6, helping to galvanize the Rebel squad enroute to their win in Fayetteville.
Up Next
The Rebels now travel back home to Oxford for a spring break matchup with the No. 16 Florida Gators on Thurs., March 16. The match is currently set to be played at 3 p.m. CT at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, weather permitting. Ole Miss then hits the road for three straight road matches, beginning Sun., March 18, at No. 15 Auburn, with first serve set for 1 p.m. CT.
Ole Miss 4, Arkansas 2
Doubles
Nikola Slavic/Lukas Engelhardt (OM) vs. No. 75 Burdet/Manuel (ARK) 4-4 unfinished
Savva/Sau Franco (ARK) def. John Hallquist Lithen/Simon Junk (OM) 6-1
Sweeney/Rogers (ARK) def. Isac Strömberg/Noah Schlagenhauf (OM) 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 3
Singles
No. 69 Nikola Slavic (OM) def. Stefanos Savva (ARK) 6-2, 6-3
John Hallquist Lithen (OM) def. Melvin Manuel (ARK) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
Simon Junk (OM) def. Adrien Burdet (ARK) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5
Lukas Engelhardt (OM) def. Benedikt Emesz (ARK) 6-2, 6-1
Alan Sau Franco (ARK) def. Noah Schlagenhauf (OM) 6-3, 6-4
Isac Strömberg (OM) vs. Gerard Planelles (ARK) 2-6, 7-6(6), 1-2 unfinished
Order of finish: 4, 1, 5, 3, 2
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.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
4,1,3,5,2
Players Mentioned
