UNC Opens ITA Team Indoor with Loss to #5 Ole Miss

Friday, February 15

Seattle, Wash.

8:00 AM

North Carolina

Mississippi

February 15, 2008 | Men's Tennis

By: UNC Athletic Communications

Feb. 15, 2008

Seattle, WA - Fifth ranked Mississippi defeated North Carolina, 4-1, Friday morning in the first round of the ITA National Team Indoors. The Tar Heels will face fourth ranked Baylor tomorrow at 8 a.m. PST, while the 5-1 Rebels advanced to play Oklahoma State in Saturday's quarterfinals.

The Rebels jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after securing the team doubles point with victories of 8-2 and 8-3 at the number one and number two doubles spots, respectively. The Rebels' top two doubles teams are ranked among the top 25 in the country. The final doubles match was not finished, as the team point had already been decided.

Ole Miss' top four singles players were all nationally ranked at the time of Friday's match. However, Carolina jumped to early leads in the first set of two of the top four matches. Stefan Hardy brought the Tar Heels within 2-1, defeating fifth ranked Mathias Wellerman, 6-1, 6-3. With the Rebels ahead 3-1, Robbye Poole overcame a 5-3 deficit in the second set to defeat Clay Donato 7-5, 7-5 and clinch the overall team match.

Saturday's match with Baylor will be Carolina's third against a top five ranked team in the last six days. The Bears, national champions in 2004, are 7-1 this season, with their only loss today to #21 Oklahoma State, 4-2.

The 2008 ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship, the premier indoor team tournament of the season, features 16 of the top men's tennis programs in the nation. Each team will play three matches throughout the weekend, with the finalists meeting on Monday. This year's tournament has 12 of the nation's top 13 ranked teams participating . Three other teams chosen through regional representation and the tournament host, the University of Washington, round out the field.

#5(5) Mississippi 4, #13 (12) North Carolina 1

Records: Mississippi 5-1, UNC 4-3

Doubles

#1 Berg/Tveit [#4] (Miss.) d. Stone/ Lenny Gullan (UNC) 8-2

#2 ten Berge/Wellerman [#24] (Miss.) d. Fogleman/Hardy (UNC) 8-3

#3 Poole/Klaeson (Miss.) led Donato/Kearney (UNC) DNF

Singles

#1 Benjamin Carlotti (UNC) led Erling Tveit [#26] (Miss.) 6-4, 2-3, DNF

#2 Stefan Hardy (UNC) d. Matthias Wellerman [#5] (Miss.) 6-1, 6-3

#3 Robbye Poole [#48] (Miss.) d. Clay Donato (UNC) 7-5, 7-5

#4 Bram ten Berge [#58] (Miss.) d. Chris Kearney (UNC) 7-5, 6-1

#5 Jonas Berg (Miss.) led Taylor Fogleman (UNC) 7-6(5), 3-3, DNF