OXFORD, Miss. – The 25th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team had its three-match win streak ended on Thursday by the 8th-ranked Ole Miss Rebels, 5-2. Ole Miss (9-2, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) has now won five straight matches.

Kentucky (7-6, 1-1 SEC) fell in a quick hole early by losing all three doubles matches. Suffering a surprise defeat at the No. 2 spot for the Wildcats was the 33rd-ranked team of Johan Hesoun and Gustav Pousette. UK’s top duo fell to Kristopher Stahlberg and Martin Selin, 8-5, breaking their personal three-match win streak.

“Our doubles pairs played pretty good,” coach Dennis Emery said. “We were up in a two of the matches, but lost serve and that really took away our momentum.”

Hesoun and Pousette each came back to win their singles matches, but that was all the Cats could muster against coach Billy Chadwick’s solid squad of Rebels. Playing in the No. 2 position, Hesoun beat James Shortall in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Pousette won the first set of his No. 5 match before Selin was forced to retire with an undisclosed injury.

UK concludes its road swing on Monday, March 20 when the Cats travel to Alabama to take on SEC foe Auburn (6-1, 1-1 SEC).

Doubles

No. 1 Shortall/Chadha (OM) def. Drada/Bawono (UK)       8-5No. 2 Stahlberg/Selin (OM)def. Hesoun/Pousette (UK)     8-5No. 3 Hartman/Stenman (OM) def. Grunditz/Stephens (UK)  8-4

Singles

No. 1 Alexander Hartman (OM) def. Carlos Drada (UK)      6-3, 6-4No. 2 Johan Hesoun (UK) def. James Shortall (OM)         6-4, 6-2No. 3 Vikrant Chadha (OM) def. Edo Bawono (UK)           6-0, 6-2No. 4 Kristopher Stahlberg (OM) def. Johan Grunditz (UK) 6-1, 6-1No. 5 Gustav Pousette (UK) def. Martin Selin (OM)        7-6, ret.No. 6 Anders Stenman (OM) def. Jorge Escallon (UK)       6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6)