In Case You Missed It-SEC Champs

(UMAA)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 2 seeded Ole Miss men’s tennis team downed fourth-seeded Florida 4-1 to capture the SEC Tournament Championship here Sunday at the Billingsley Tennis Center. This marks the Rebels (21-4) second tournament championship as they also captured the event in 1997.

“We knew that we were going to have to play great to beat Florida because they just came off of a big win against Georgia,” head coach Billy Chadwick said. “Florida beat us (in Oxford) this year during the regular season. If we weren’t at our best, we weren’t going to have a chance.”

Senior Erling Tveit, ranked No. 30 in the nation, saved his best match of the year for the SEC Tournament final, taking down the nation’s No.2 ranked player, Greg Ouellette, in straight sets to clinch the championship for the Rebels. Tveit won the first set 6-4 and then raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and never looked back, winning 6-2 to clinch.

“It was great (clinching),” Tveit said. I was struggling in the beginning of the match, but I was able to hang in there. Fortunately, I was able to get a break and serve for the first set. I got up 3-0 in the second and gained the momentum. I hadn’t finished a match in the tournament, so I guess it was my turn.”

Junior Jonas Berg was named the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, and he earned it, going 4-0 in singles and doubles on the weekend. In singles, he lost only nine games in three matches. The two-time All-SEC honoree has now won 12 in a row. His 6-1, 6-3 win over Gator Jeff Dadamo at No. 4 singles gave the Rebels a 2-0 lead.