NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 12 Ole Miss (10-9 7-5 SEC) defeated Vanderbilt (6-15, 0-12 SEC), 4-3, on Sunday. The Rebels finish the regular season with a positive conference record for the first time since 2015.

 

Ole Miss received Vanderbilt’s best effort on Sunday. The Rebels edged out the Commodores, 4-3, to finish the regular season on a positive note after entering the match with two straight losses. Ole Miss defeated Vanderbilt in exactly three hours of match time.

 

The Rebels claimed the opening decision point in a very close doubles portion of the match. Ole Miss swept the Commodores, 2-0, by winning on Courts No. 1 and No. 2. No. 1 ranked Finn Reynolds and Tim Sandkaulen won first, defeating Vanderbilt’s George Harwell and Max Freeman, 6-4. Reynolds and Sandkaulen extended their current win streak to seven. Both Doubles No. 2 and No. 3 went to tiebreaks, with the Rebels needing to win one of two to clinch. Brady Draheim and Simon Junk secured doubles for Ole Miss by winning 7-6 (6) over Jeremie Casabon and Connor Robb-Wilcox. Lukas Engalhardt and Jakob Cadonau’s match at No. 3 doubles went unfinished tied 5-all in the tiebreak.

 

The doubles point proved crucial as Ole Miss and Vanderbilt split singles 3-3. The Rebels jumped ahead 3-0 on the Commodores by swiftly winning at Singles No. 4 and No. 2. John Hallquist Lithén won first, defeating Freeman 6-0, 6-1. Lithén earned his first 6-0 set win of the season by sweeping the first set over Freeman, then he won the match while other singles matches were still in the first set. No. 55 Sandkaulen won second, defeating Casabon 6-1, 6-2. The Rebels needed one more match to win, however Ole Miss had dropped the first set on Court No. 1, 3, 5 and 6 and needed one of four Rebels to make a comeback.

 

Vanderbilt cut the Rebels lead to one by taking Singles No. 5 followed by No. 1 in straight sets.

 

Cadonau clinched the match for the Rebels at 4-2. He won 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 over the Commodores’ Joubert Klopper at No. 6 Singles. Cadonau won for the third time in his freshman campaign, none more vital for Ole Miss than his first career individual clinch.

 

No. 32 Slavic fell to Vanderbilt’s Marcus Ferreira in three sets to end the contest. The Rebels won by the score of 4-3 for the fifth time this season.

 

Coming Up

Ole Miss will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. For the SEC Championship beginning Monday, April 19. The Rebels first opponent in the conference tournament has yet to be determined.

 

Singles Results

 

No. 98 George Harwell (VU) def. No. 11 Finn Reynolds, 7-5, 7-6 (3)

No. 55 Tim Sandkaulen def. Jeremie Casabon (VU), 6-1, 6-2

Marcus Ferreira (VU) def. No. 32 Nikola Slavic, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5

John Hallquist Lithén def. Max Freeman (VU), 6-0, 6-1

Macsen Sisam (VU) def. Simon Junk, 6-2, 6-3

Jakob Cadonau def. Joubert Klopper (VU), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2

 

Doubles Results

 

No. 1 Finn Reynolds/Tim Sandkaulen def. George Harwell/Max Freeman (VU), 6-4

Brady Draheim/Simon Junk def. Jeremie Casabon/Connor Robb-Wilcox (VU), 7-6 (6)

Jakob Cadonau/Lukas Engelhardt vs. Macsen Sisam/Adam Staberg (VU), 6-6 (5-5) unfinished

 

For more information on Ole Miss Men’s Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.