Kelby ZendejasThe Ole Miss men’s and women’s tennis teams competed against the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend. The men grasped a big 7-0 win on Sunday, just after the women fell 4-3 on Saturday.
Following a competitive match, the Razorbacks won after Arkansas’s Laura Rijkers outcompeted Ole Miss’s Kelsey Mize. The singles match ended with a score of 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-4, leading Arkansas to the narrow victory. Mize now sits with a 1-1 record for important wins, as the sophomore helped lift the Rebels over Memphis on Feb. 2.
The Rebels and the Razorbacks were tied 3-3 in women’s singles and Mize’s loss sealed the win in Arkansas’ favor. However, Ole Miss fell behind Arkansas 3-0 and then regained momentum for a comeback moment.
The first victory came from senior Tereza Janatova with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Arkansas’s Tatum Rice. The second victory came after senior Sabina Machalova beat Arkansas’s Kelly Keller in straight-set tiebreakers. Tying the match for the Rebels was sophomore Tiphanie Fiquet. The France native defeated Arkansas’s Indianna Spink 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (5).
The lone win in doubles play came from duo Fiquet and junior Lillian Gabrielsen as the pair defeated Keller and Rijkers in a 6-1 victory.
The next women’s match is scheduled for Feb. 22 against Missouri at 12 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Rebel men garnered a huge victory over the Razorbacks on Sunday with a score of 7-0.
Ole Miss won every match with one left unfinished on Sunday. The sweep adds a win to the current 2-4 record for the Rebels. In total, the Rebels lost two sets to the Razorbacks, earning their first sweep for the current season.
In singles, six Rebel men became victors as two men won in third set tiebreakers. Senior Finn Reynolds earned his first ranked victory over Arkansas’s No. 72 Alex Reco, 6-2, 7-5. Senior Tim Sandkaulen defeated Razorback Maxim Verboven, 6-4, 6-4, and sophomore Nikola Slavic defeated Razorback Nico Rousset 6-2, 6-1.
Junior Simon Junk defeated Razorback Melvin Manuel, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (8) for a third set tiebreaker, while the other super tiebreaker came from freshman Jakob Cadonau as he defeated Razorback Enrique Paya 6-4, 6-7 (3), 1-0 (9). Also winning in singles was freshman John Hallquist Lithen, who beat Adrien Burdet 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3).
The Rebel men won two doubles matches and left one unfinished.
The Ole Miss men’s team will face the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs for its next match on Friday, Feb. 26 at 1:30 p.m.
