Rebel netters sweep Southern Miss in season opener

The Ole Miss men’s tennis team, ranked No. 23 in the nation, got its 2012 season off to a good start with 7-0 sweep of Southern Miss yesterday at the Gillom Sports Center.

“The guys were very excited to have their first dual match, especially the freshmen on the team,” Ole Miss head coach Billy Chadwick said. “There is a lot of excitement with this team, and I think the fans saw that.”

The Rebels swept the double matches to take an early 1-0 lead. The Swedish duo of sophomore Jonas Backstrom and freshman William Kallberg won at No. 3 doubles, followed by freshman Nik Scholtz and junior Jonas Lutjen at No. 2 doubles to clinch the doubles point.

“I was very pleased (with the way we performed in doubles) today because we played well at each position,” Chadwick said.

Senior Marcel Thiemann, ranked No. 27 in singles, dominated at No. 2 singles winning 6-3, 6-3 to push Ole Miss to a 2-0 lead over the Golden Eagles. Freshman Nik Scholtz made his collegiate debut and won in straight sets 6-2 and 6-3 at No. 1 singles. To start his match, he aced his first four serves and finished with 13 aces for the match.

“Nik is a guy that is highly touted, and we’ve said a lot of good things about him,” Chadwick said. “I think he showed that today.”

Scholtz, who redshirted this past season due to NCAA eligibility rules, was glad to have his first match under his belt.

“There were a little bit of nerves playing my first match for Ole Miss,” the South African native said. “I’ve been waiting on this for a year and half. It’s been a long wait, but I’m glad I’ve got it under my belt. I think I played pretty well. I got a little tired toward the end, but overall, I think it was pretty good.”

Lutjen, ranked No. 88 in singles, clinched the match for the Rebels in a tight one at No. 3 singles. He won the first set 7-6, but was down 4-0 in the second set before rallying to win the set 6-4. Senior Chris Thiemann made quick work at No. 5 singles, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, to give the Rebels a 5-0 lead. 

The next Rebel to claim a point was Kallberg, who won in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Backstrom completed the 7-0 sweep for Ole Miss with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles 

Although it is only the first match of the season, Scholtz likes what he sees from this year’s team.

“We’ve got a great team,” he said. “We’re looking forward to having a good season and going for the SEC Championship, maybe even a National Championship. We’re one of the top teams in the country this year. Hopefully, we can put it together and show it on the scoreboard, but talent-wise, we’re up there.”

Next up, Ole Miss will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take part in the ITA Kick-Off weekend. The Rebels will face No. 15 Oklahoma in the first round on Sunday. 

If they win that match, they will take on the winner of the Tennessee-Michigan State match on Monday. The winner of the four-team regional will advance to the National Team Indoor Championships Feb. 17-20 in Charlottesville, Va.