Hogs? Season Ends Against No. 25 Tennessee in SEC Tournament
BATON ROUGE, La. – Arkansas saw its 2007 season come to an end Thursday afternoon at the hands of No. 25 Tennessee, 4-1, in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference Tennis Championships at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Center in Baton Rouge, La.
The Razorbacks finish their season with a 7-22 record.
Tennessee (16-6) advances to face host and fourth-seed LSU Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.
Arkansas provided a stiff challenge to the Volunteers, who defeated the Razorbacks, 7-0, on March 4, in the top three singles spots. The Razorbacks earned a victory at No. 3 singles, led at No. 1 singles and were tied in the third set at No. 2 singles when the match was clinched.
Freshman Dmitry Lebedev notched the biggest win of his career at No. 3 singles. Lebedev upset 40th-ranked Bobby Cameron, 6-1, 6-2, marking the highest-ranked opponent Lebedev has defeated in his young career.
43rd-ranked sophomore Blake Strode, named First Team All-SEC Wednesday, led 21st-ranked Kaden Hensel, 7-6, 4-0, at No. 1 singles when the match was completed. Colin Mascall was rallying against 117th-ranked Davey Sandgren at No. 2, 0-6, 6-4, 2-2, at the match’s end.
The Vols won each of the matches at No.’s four, five and six in straight sets.
Tennessee’s solid doubles lineup proved to be too much for the Hogs, with the Volunteers’ pair of ranked tandems, No. 21 Hensel and Cameron and No. 31 Ben Rogers and Adam Hubble, bested the Razorbacks at No.’s one and two, respectively.
The Razorbacks will now wait word on whether Strode will participate in the NCAA Singles Tournament and whether he and Mascall will earn a bid to the NCAA Doubles Championships. Those events will take place May 17-28 in Athens, Ga. and the fields will be announced in the next month.
#25 Tennessee 4, Arkansas 1
April 19, 2007
SEC Tournament – First Round
W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Center, Baton Rouge, La.
Singles:
1. #43 Blake Strode (ARK) led #21 Kaden Hensel (UT), 7-6, 4-0
2. Colin Mascall (ARK) vs. #117 Davey Sandgren (UT), 0-6, 6-4. 2-2 (dnf)
3. Dmitry Lebedev (ARK) def. #40 Bobby Cameron (UT), 6-1, 6-2
4. Kiril Tcherveniachl (UT) def. Gabriel Mattos (ARK), 6-1, 6-0
5. Ben Rogers (UT) def. Bradwin Williams (ARK), 6-2, 6-3
6. Chris Racz (UT) def. Dmitry Vlaskin (ARK), 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 4, 3, 5, 6*
Doubles:
1. #21 Hensel/Cameron (UT) def. #37 Mascall/Strode (ARK), 8-4
2. #31 Rogers/Adam Hubble (UT) def. Jorge Villanueva/Vlaskin (ARK), 8-1
3. Sandgren/Bo Hardegree (UT) led Mattos/Williams (ARK), 7-6
Order of Finish: 2, 1*
