May 24, 2012

ATHENS, Ga. – Ole Miss men’s tennis freshman Nik Scholtz erased four match points against North Carolina’s Jose Hernandez to win in three sets and advance to the third round of the NCAA Singles Championship here Thursday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.  In doubles, the twins, Marcel Thiemann and Chris Thiemann, advanced to the second round.

Scholtz lost the first set 6-3 and was down 4-2 in the second before rallying to tie it up at 4.  Serving at 4-5, Scholtz faced four match points, but finally held.  The two would go to a tiebreaker, which Scholtz won 7-4 to force a decisive set.  In the third set, Scholtz broke early to go up 2-0 and served it out 6-2 to become the eighth straight Rebel to reach at least the third round in singles.

With the win, the Scholtz won his 20th match of the year, becoming the fourth Rebel to do so this season.

In other singles action, senior Marcel Thiemann, ranked No. 20 in the nation, lost to seventh seed Dennis Nevolo of Illinois in two close sets.  Thiemann was up a break early (2-0) in the first set but then lost four straight games and ended up losing the set 6-4.  The two players traded breaks to start the second set, but it ended up in a tiebreaker.  At 6-6, Nevolo won the final two points to clinch the victory.

With the loss, Thiemann ends his final season with a 22-8 overall record.  He had reached the quarterfinals in singles the past two years.

Junior Jonas Lutjen, ranked No. 45 nationally, faced a tough opponent in the second round in Mississippi State’s Artem Ilyushin (9-16 seed).  Lutjen fell behind early as Ilyushin went to win the first set 6-0.  The second set was close until Lutjen got broke at 2-3.  Ilyushin held for a 6-3.

This was Lutjen’s first NCAA appearance and he finishes the year at 24-13.

In the doubles, the Thiemann’s fell behind early, dropping the first set to College of Charleston’s Kyle Parker and Mickael Trintignac 6-3.  In the second set, the twins broke twice to win it 6-2.  They broke at 3-2 in the third and held to win it 6-4 to reach the second round for the first time in three appearances.

Scholtz and Lutjen weren’t as lucky, dropping a first set tiebreaker 7-6(4) against Andre Dome and Matt Fawcett of Cal-Poly.  In the second set, the Cal-Poly team broke and held for 6-3 to win it.

The times for Friday’s matches have not been set as of press time.  Follow the Rebels on twitter at @OleMissMTennis for updates and on facebook at www.facebook.com/OleMissMTennis.

NCAA INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – ATHENS, Ga.
Singles
Second round – #14 Nik Scholtz (9-1(OM) def. #26 Jose Hernandez (UNC) 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2; #7 Dennis Nevolo (ILL) (7) def. #20 Marcel Thiemann (OM) 6-4, 7-6(6); #13 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) (9-16) def. #45 Jonas Lutjen (OM) 6-0, 6-3.
Doubles
First round -- #68 Andre Dome-Matt Fawcett, (CAL POLY) def. #13 Scholtz-Lutjen (OM) 7-6(4), 6-3; #17 Thiemann-Thiemann (OM) def. Kyle Parker-Mickael Trintignac (C of C) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.