The Ole Miss Men’s Tennis team (8-1) began their SEC season with a match against the Arkansas Razorbacks (10-3) at the Billingsley Tennis Center in Fayetteville, Ark.

This match was a challenge for the Rebels, as they hoped to extend their impressive start to the season into conference play. 

In the SEC opener for the Rebels and Razorbacks, both teams brought well-rounded lineups to the court. The Rebel’s roster featured a mix of experienced juniors and talented freshmen. 

Junior Isac Strömberg from Stockholm, Sweden, and freshman Kai Milburn from Queenstown, New Zealand, took on a crucial doubles match in match one. Another electrifying duo competing in match two was freshman Benjamin Martin and freshman Matthieu Chambonniere. Match three showcased the resilient juniors, Marcel Kamrowski and Noah Schlagenhauf.

Ole Miss faced a tough doubles battle against the Razorbacks. Milburn and Strömberg had momentum in the beginning of the match with aggressive net play but ultimately lost 5-7. 

Chambonniere and Martin competed against Arkansas in a competitive match 4-6. Kamrowski and Schlagenhauf won 6-2. 

Martin had one of the most impressive performances of the day, which secured him a straight-set victory with key precision and amazing baseline play. Notably, Strömberg was another strong player for the Rebels. Chambonniere rallied after dropping the first set, but his comeback effort was not enough against Arkansas’ aggressive net play.

The Ole Miss Men’s Tennis team put up a strong fight in their singles matches, but ultimately fell short. Despite a hard-fought battle throughout the day, the Rebels were unable to secure enough victories to overcome Arkansas’ home-court advantage.

After trailing by one point, the Razorbacks prevailed 4-3 for the overall score. Although the singles matches came with excellent individual performances, Ole Miss will need to improve its execution in crucial situations to find success in future matches.