FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  – The No. 2 nationally ranked Ole Miss men’s tennis team downed Arkansas 5-2 Sunday afternoon to clinch at least a share of the SEC Championship.  The Rebels (20-2, 10-0) can capture the championship outright with a win against Mississippi State in Starkville April 18.

Ole Miss won its fifth overall SEC Championship, first since 2005. On Friday, the Rebels defeated LSU to win their eighth straight SEC West title. 

Georgia defeated Kentucky on Sunday to move to 9-1 in the SEC.  Ole Miss defeated the Bulldogs 4-3 earlier in the year.

“This was a great match,” said head coach Billy Chadwick, who now trails only legendary Rebel football coach John Vaught (six) in SEC Championships won at Ole Miss.  “It was extremely difficult to play LSU in Baton Rouge and then make the long trip up to Fayetteville and play indoors.   We are proud of the guys.  They fought hard at every position.  Now we go to Mississippi State and try to claim the championship outright. 

“For these guys to be 10-0 in the SEC, especially with five teams in the top 15 in the country, is outstanding.”

The Rebels got on the board first by winning the doubles point.   Kalle Norberg and Otto Sauer defeated Taylor King and Matt Walters 8-4 at No. 3.  Arkansas won 8-5 at No. 2, and then the senior duo of Jonas Berg and Bram ten Berge, ranked No. 2 in the nation, finished off UA’s Blake Strode and Chris Nott 9-7 on court one to clinch the point.

Sauer gave Ole Miss a quick 2-0 lead as he dominated Razorback Nick Spinazze 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.  Fellow freshman Chris Thiemann defeated UA’s Connor Smith 6-1, 7-5 at No. 6 to put the Rebels up 3-0.

Arkansas got on the board, when 13th-ranked Strode beat 23rd-ranked Berg 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. 

Norberg remained undefeated in the SEC with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Razorback Matt Hogan at No. 3 singles, to clinch the match and the championship for the Rebels, as well as their 10th 20-win campaign.

Britton defeated UA’s Nott 7-5, 7-5 at No. 2 singles for the final Rebel point.  Arkansas’ second point came on court four where Dmitry Lebedev won a third set supertiebreaker against ten Berge.

Saturday’s match at Mississippi State begins at Noon at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.  

DOUBLES

1. Berg/ten Berge (OM) def. Strode/Nott (UA) 9-7

2. Hogan/Lebedev (UA) def. Britton/Tucker Vorster (OM) 8-5

3. Norberg/Sauer (OM) def. King/Walters (UA) 8-4

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1

SINGLES

1. Blake Strode (UA) def. Jonas Berg (OM) 6-3, 6-2

2. Devin Britton (OM) def. Chris Nott (UA) 7-5, 7-5

3. Kalle Norberg (OM) def. Matt Hogan (UA) 6-2, 6-4

4. Dmitry Lebedev (UA) def. Bram ten Berge (OM) 7-6(4), 3-6, 10-7

5. Otto Sauer (OM) def. Nick Spinazze (UA) 6-0, 6-1

6. Chris Thiemann (OM) def. Connor Smith (UA) 6-1, 7-5

Order of Finish: 5, 6, 1, 3, 2, 4