Rebel Netters Down Harvard, 4-3

February 18, 1999

SEATTLE, Wash. - The No. 4 nationally-ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team won the doubles point and that proved to be the key as they defeated 16th-ranked Harvard 4-3 in the first round of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Thursday at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. The Rebels will face the winner of the Illinois/UCLA match, Friday.

With the win Ole Miss improves to 5-1 on the year, while Harvard drops to 6-1. The Rebels got the early lead by winning the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. James Shortall and Martin Sjoqvist upset the No. 2 team in the nation, James Blake and Kunji Majmudar 8-5, and then Vikrant Chadha and Anders Stenman beat Scott Clark and Mike Passarella 8-6 to clinch the point.

"The guys really stepped it up today against a good Harvard team," head coach Billy Chadwick said. "We knew it would be a tough match because they had defeated Tennessee 6-1 recently. It's nice to get the doubles point. James and Martin came up with a huge win for us at the No. 1 position. The are definitely becoming one of the top doubles' teams in the country."

In singles, Blake, the No.1 player in the nation, defeated James Shortall 6-2, 6-4 at the top spot. Harvard's John Doran downed Martin Selin 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 singles and Rebel Sjoqvist cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Passarella at No. 4 singles to even the match at 2-2.

Kristofer Stahlberg won his match 7-6(5), 6-1 over Clark at No. 6 singles to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead, but Harvard's Joe Green squared the match with his 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over Ole Miss' Chadha at the fifth spot. Stenman, ranked No. 73 in the nation, ralllied to knock off 31st-ranked Majmudar 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to clinch the victory for the Rebels.

Ole Miss has advanced to the quarterfinals at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships four out of the last five years. They will be attempting to make it to the semifinals for the third time in four years.

USTA/ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS - Seattle, Wash.
#4 Ole Miss 4 vs. #16 Harvard 3

SINGLES

#1 James Blake (HU) def. James Shortall (OM)              6-2, 6-4#2 Anders Stenman (OM) def. Kunji Majmudar (HU)      3-6, 6-3, 6-1#3 John Doran (HU) def. Martin Selin (OM)                 6-4, 6-1#4 Martin Sjoqvist (OM) def. Mike Passarella (HU)         6-2, 6-1#5 Joe Green (HU) def. Vikrant Chada (OM)            7-5, 2-6, 6-3#6 Kristofer Stahlberg (OM) def. Scott Clark (HU)      7-6(5), 6-1

DOUBLES

#1 Shortall-Sjoqvist (OM) def. Blake-Majmudar (HU)        8-5#2 Chadha-Stenman (OM) def. Clark-Passarella (HU)         8-6#3 Selin-Stahlberg (OM) vs. Doran-Green (HU)              DNF

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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