Sept. 30, 2012

TULSA, Okla. – The Ole Miss men’s tennis team will have two players in the ITA All-American Championships qualifying, which begins here Monday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.  Junior Johan Backstrom won twice on Sunday to advance to the qualifying.

In the third round, Backstrom defeated Carlos Lopez-Villa of Old Dominion 7-6, 6-4.  The final round saw Backstrom rally to beat Dmytro Kovolyav of Hawaii, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to improve his record this fall to 7-3.  

Backstrom will face a familiar opponent in Florida’s Billy Federhofer, in the first round of qualifying Monday at 9 a.m.  He will be joined in the qualifying singles by teammate William Kallberg.  Kallberg, ranked No. 56 in the nation, faces David Hopkins of Wake Forest, also at 9 a.m., Monday.

Both players must win four matches to advance to the main draw, which begins Thursday.  Backstrom and Kallberg will also be in the doubles qualifying.

Senior Adrian Forberg Skogeng was hoping to join his teammates in the qualifying singles, but came up short, dropping his final match to TCU’s Facundo Lugones, 6-4, 6-2.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OleMissMTennis.

ITA All-American Championships
Prequalifying Singles
Third round – Johan Backstrom (OM) def. Carlos Lopez-Villa (ODU) 7-6, 6-4; Adrian Forberg Skogeng (OM) def. Joseph Cohen (EWU) 6-2, 6-1.  Final round – Facundo Lugones (TCU) def. Forberg Skogeng (OM) 6-4, 6-2; Backstrom (OM) def. Dmytro Kovolyav (HAW) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.