OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 13-ranked LSU men’s tennis team swept the doubles matches but could not carry its strong play over to singles as it fell to the No. 10-ranked Ole Miss Rebels, 4-3, Friday afternoon at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
The loss marks the first time the Tigers (12-4, 4-3 SEC) have lost back-to-back matches this season. The win improves the Rebels record to 17-2 and 6-1 in conference play.
“Even with the loss, I am still very optimistic about our team,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “This was one of our best doubles performances. We have been improving as the season has progressed and once we can get everything together I expect our team to accomplish some great things.”
Kevin Dessauer and Jan Zelezny struck first for the Tigers in doubles, defeating Jonas Berg and Robbye Poole by an 8-4 decision.
The Tiger tandem of Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston, ranked No. 5 in the nation, clinched the doubles point on court one where they overpowered Jakob Kaeson and Matthias Wellermann, 8-5. Bryan and Gaston have compiled a 17-1 record this season and have won 28 of their last 29 matches.
The No. 14 ranked duo of James Cluskey and Ken Skupski completed the doubles sweep, when they knocked off Eric Claesson and Erling Tveit, 8-6.
The Rebels quickly retaliated in singles play by picking up straight-set victories on court three and six. The wins gave the Rebels a 2-1 lead.
Senior Skupski picked up one of his biggest wins of the season when he breezed past the No. 15-ranked Tveit, 6-4, 6-4. The win was the 99th of Skupski’s career, which makes him tied with former Tiger Mario Pachecho for 5th place on the school’s career wins list. With a win on Sunday, the two-time All-American would tie head coach Brown for fourth place.
With the score tied 2-all the Rebels began to take control of the match. Bryan struggled in his match against Claesson as he lost in straight set, 6-3, 6-3.
The Rebels clinched the match when Kalle Norberg defeated Cluskey, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. The loss snapped Cluskey’s six-match win streak.
Even with the match in hand, the Tigers were able to capture the final match away from the Rebels as Dessauer defeated the No. 32 ranked Poole, 3-6, 7-5, 2-1.
LSU will remain in Mississippi for its next match when it travels to Starkville on Sunday to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 1 p.m.
#10 Ole Miss 4, #13 LSU 3
March 30, 2007 at Oxford, Miss.
Singles competition:
1. #24 Ken Skupski (LSU) def. #15 Erling Tveit (UM), 6-4, 6-4
2. #109 Eric Claesson (UM) def. #44 Danny Bryan (LSU), 6-3, 6-3
3. #85 Matthias Wellermann (UM) def. Colt Gaston (LSU), 6-3, 6-4
4. #111 Kevin Dessauer (LSU) def. #32 Robbye Poole (UM), 3-6, 7-5, 2-1 (retired)
5. Kalle Norberg (UM) def. James Cluskey (LSU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
6. Jonas Berg (UM) def. Jan Zelezny (LSU), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition:
1. # 5 Danny Bryan/Colt Gaston (LSU) def. #51 Eric Claesson/Erling Tveit (UM), 8-5
2. #14 James Cluskey/Ken Skupski (LSU) def. Jakob Klaeson/Matthias Wellermann (UM), 8-6
3. Kevin Dessauer/Jan Zelezny (LSU) def. Jonas Berg/Robby Poole (UM), 8-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1, 2) Singles (6, 3, 1, 2, 5, 4)