No. 13 Rebels Hold Off Auburn 4-3

Adrian Forberg Skogeng Clinches It At No. 6 Singles

From Ole Miss Sports Information

Adrian Forberg Skogeng
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

On Friday, it was freshman Stefan Lindmark coming through in the clutch to give the No. 13 ranked Ole Miss men’s tennis team a 4-3 win over Alabama.  Sunday, it was senior Adrian Forberg Skogeng coming up big for the third time this season, winning in three sets at No. 6 singles to give the Rebels a huge 4-3 win against Auburn on the road.

The match had to be played indoors due to cold temperatures.  With their two wins this weekend, the Rebels improved to 8-2 overall and begin conference play at 2-0 for the second straight year.

The match came down to court six where Forberg Skogeng broke Auburn’s Michael Wardell at 5-4 in the third set to clinch a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win and the 4-3 victory for the Rebels.   Forberg Skogeng had served for it at 5-3, but Wardell broke to keep Auburn alive momentarily.

“The guys did a great job of finding a way to get the win,” head coach Billy Chadwick said.   Everybody did a good job of fighting hard from top to bottom. It’s great to go 2-0 on our first road trip in the SEC, and we are looking forward to our upcoming home matches this weekend. We want to invite everyone to spend spring break with the Rebel netters.”

Ole Miss won a close doubles point to take the early 1-0 lead and once again that was the difference.  Auburn won 8-3 at No. 2 doubles.  In a top-five match-up at No. 1, fifth-ranked Nik Scholtz and Jonas Lutjen edged No. 1 ranked Andreas Mies and Daniel Cochrane 8-6.  Johan Backstrom and Stefan Lindmark broke a 7-7 tie at No. 3 against the Tiger duo of Lukas Ollert and Joseph Van Dooren and won it 9-7 to clinch the point.

Backstrom finished the weekend a perfect 4-0 as he came back to beat Van Dooren at No. 5 singles 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 to make it 2-0 Rebels.  Lindmark also registered a perfect weekend, defeating Dennis Lengsfeld 7-6(5), 6-4 at No. 4 singles, giving the Rebels a 3-0 lead.

Needing only one more point, the Rebels would have to wait awhile, as Auburn won the top three spots to even it up, two of which went three sets.

Lutjen, ranked No. 5, dropped to 0-2 in the SEC with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 loss to Cochrane on court two.  Scholtz, ranked No. 12, followed with a tough 7-5, 7-6(4) loss to Mies at No. 1. Auburn tied it when Ollert finished off 55th-ranked William Kallberg 6-7 (2), 6-1, 7-5 on court three.

Ole Miss, one of four teams at 2-0 in the SEC, returns home for five straight matches beginning with No. 7 Georgia Friday at 2 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissMTennis and on Facebook at OleMissMTennis.

#13 Ole Miss 4, #32 Auburn 3
Doubles
1. #5 Nik Scholtz/Jonas Lutjen (OM) def. #1 Andreas Mies/Daniel Cochrane (AU), 8-6
2. Dennis Lengsfeld/Lucas Lopasso (AU) def. #49 William Kallberg/Adrian Skogeng (OM), 8-3
3. Johan Backstrom/Stefan Lindmark (OM) def. Lukas Ollert/Joseph Van Dooren (AU), 9-7
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. #107 Andreas Mies (AU) def. #12 Nik Scholtz (OM), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
2. Daniel Cochrane (AU) def. #5 Jonas Lutjen (OM), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. Lukas Ollert (AU) def. #55 William Kallberg (OM), 6-7 (2), 6-1, 7-5
4. Stefan Lindmark (OM) def. Dennis Lengsfeld (AU), 7-6 (5), 6-4
5. Johan Backstrom (OM) def. Joseph Van Dooren (AU), 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
6. Adrian Skogeng (OM) def. Michael Wardell (AU), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Order of finish: 5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6