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REBEL NETTERS READY FOR YEAR’S FIRST MAJOR
OXFORD, Miss. –
Professional tennis has four major events during the year.
College tennis has three, and the first one - the ITA/D’Novo
All-American Championships - begins this weekend in Tulsa, Okla.
Several members of the Ole Miss men’s tennis team are among the more
than 300 players expected to compete for the first national title of
the 2011-12 college tennis season. The
prestigious nine-day tournament begins on Saturday, Oct. 1 with the
prequalifying singles event. The last 16 spots in singles and
eight spots in doubles will be on the line when qualifying matches
conclude on Wednesday, Oct. 5. On Thursday, Oct. 6, main draw play gets
underway as 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams vie for the titles. Singles
quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will
receive automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor
Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 3-6 in Flushing, N.Y. The
Rebels will send eight players to the All-American, beginning with the
prequalifying on Saturday. Junior Adrian Forberg Skogeng,
sophomore Johan Backstrom, redshirt freshman Alex Durham and freshman
Joe Rogers will compete in the prequalifying tournament at the Case
Tennis Center. “This
is one of the premier collegiate events in the country. Many of
the nation’s top players will be in Tulsa. The guys have
been working hard, and we’re looking forward to the tournament,” head
coach Billy Chadwick said. Ole
Miss has won All-American singles and doubles titles in the last
decade, with former All-Americans Catalin Gard winning the singles in
2004 and Jonas Berg and Bram ten Berge claiming the doubles crown in
2008.
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