Men’s Tennis Opens 2024 Season with Two-Match Sweep

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss men's tennis (2-0, 0-0 SEC) saw a perfect start to their 2024 campaign on Sunday, as the Rebels captured a 7-0 victory over North Alabama (0-1, 0-0 ASUN) and won 4-0 against Jackson State (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) to kickoff the team's spring slate of matches.

The Rebels were a force to be reckoned with, tallying wins in five of the team's doubles matches on the day as well as going 9-0 in singles play against the Tigers and Lions. Ole Miss showed to be dominant as six of the nine singles matches were in straight-sets.

The Rebels opened the first match of the day by coming out with a strong start in doubles action, sweeping through all three matches against the Lions. The sophomore duo of Isac Strömberg and Noah Schlagenhauf would strike first at No. 2 doubles with a 6-1 victory.

John Hallquist Lithén and Carson Baker quickly followed suit and secured the doubles point after winning on court three, 6-1. Although the point was clinched, Nikola Slavic and Lukas Engelhardt played out and beat their opponents, 6-3.

The Rebel's momentum carried over into singles play with all six matches going to Ole Miss. No. 99 Slavic led the charge at court one, winning 6-1, 6-1. Not far behind was Baker who clinched his first collegiate singles match after a 6-4, 6-0 victory.

Strömberg clinched match point for the Rebels after besting his opponent, 7-6 (6), 6-4, on court two. Although the match was decided, Gordon Whitwell, Engelhardt and Schlagenhauf were all able to string together points on their respective courts.

Match two proved to be more of the same for the Rebels as Ole Miss swept their way to best Jackson State in a 4-0 victory. Due to inclement weather, matchups were not played out against the Tigers.

The senior pair of Slavic and Engelhardt set the tone with a convincing 6-0 victory while Baker and Lithén secured their second win of the day, 6-1.

Freshman Brice Patoux showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with as he captured his first collegiate victory in a dominant force, 6-0, 6-1. Baker and Slavic followed suit by taking down their opponents in straight sets to ensure a perfect day for the Rebels.

"It was important for our players to get out on court and compete in a real dual match," head coach Toby Hansson said. "It was especially good that we got challenged in a few matches and were able to find a way to win on every court. I feel like these matches will help us get ready for our next match against SMU in Dallas."

Up Next
With the team's first pair of matches under their belt, the Rebels will now travel to Dallas, Texas to take on the SMU Mustangs, Jan. 18 at 6 pm CT.

Match 1: Ole Miss 7, North Alabama 0
Singles
1. #99 Nikola Slavic (OM) def. Lachlan Brain (UNA) 6-1, 6-1
2. Isac Strömberg (OM) def. Izan Orgiles (UNA) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
3. Lukas Engelhardt (OM) def. Alberto Altur (UNA) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3
4. Noah Schlagenhauf (OM) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn (UNA) 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (10-8)
5. Carson Baker (OM) def. Federico Scotuzzi (UNA) 6-4, 6-0
6. Gordon Whitwell (OM) def. Birtan Duran (UNA) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

Doubles
1. Nikola Slavic/Lukas Engelhardt (OM) def. Alberto Altur/Birtan Duran (UNA) 6-3
2. Isac Strömberg/Noah Schlagenhauf (OM) def. Lachlan Brain/Izan Orgiles (UNA) 6-1
3. J. Hallquist Lithén/Carson Baker (OM) def. Nazar Fedoryshyn/Federico Scotuzzi (UNA) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,5,2,6,3,4)

Match 2: Ole Miss 4, Jackson State 0
Singles
1. Nikola Slavic (OM) def. Raul Centeno (JSU) 6-1, 6-2
2. J. Hallquist Lithén (OM) vs. F. Pickenstainer (JSU) 6-3, 3-0, unfinished
3. Isac Strömberg (OM) vs. Ching Chang Chiu (JSU) 6-2, 2-1, unfinished
4. Lukas Engelhardt (OM) vs. Gokalp Ayar (JSU) 6-5, unfinished
5. Carson Baker (OM) def. Carlos Castillo (JSU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Brice Patoux (OM) def. Alejandro Pinilla (JSU) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
1. Nikola Slavic/Lukas Engelhardt (OM) def. Raul Centeno/Ching Chang Chiu (JSU) 6-0
2. Carson Baker/J. Hallquist Lithén (OM) def. Gokalp Ayar/Alejandro Pinilla (JSU) 6-1
3. Brice Patoux/Walker Stearns (OM) vs. F. Pickenstainer/Carlos Castillo (JSU) 4-3, unfinished

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,5,1)

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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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Carson Baker

Lukas Engelhardt

Brice Patoux

Noah Schlagenhauf

Nikola Slavic

Walker Stearns

Gordon Whitwell

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