Feb. 27, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (3-4, 1-1 C-USA) will face its fifth nationally-ranked opponent of the season with a Wednesday match at No. 6 Ole Miss, beginning at 2 p.m.

Memphis, which has gone 2-2 in its last four matches, including an 0-2 mark against ranked opponents, will be facing Ole Miss for the 3rd straight year in Oxford, but this is a significantly different roster than the Tigers' last trip to Ole Miss which saw the Tigers fall, 7-0.

Junior Jimmy Khougassian, a transfer from Arkansas, should be a bit familiar with former SEC foe Ole Miss. Khougassian has played atop the Tigers' singles line-up over the last four matches, and is looking to snap a three-match losing streak that started against another SEC ranked opponent (Mississippi State's Philippe Frayssinoux).

Fellow junior Amrit Narasimhan, also playing his first match at Oxford since joining Memphis from Tyler Junior College, leads the Tigers with a 5-2 mark since the spring dual season began. Narasimhan is 3-1 at No. 2 singles and 2-0 at No. 3 singles. Narasimhan has won four of his last five singles matches, including a 7-6, 7-6 thriller against conference foe East Carolina. Narasimhan and doubles teammate, Benedikt Fischer, have the team's best doubles mark, sporting a 3-3 record at No. 1 doubles.

Freshman Charlie Ramsay has had one of the better results of the year among Conference USA student-athletes. Ramsay ranks third in the league in wins at No. 4 singles, where he is 4-3 on the season.

The match against Ole Miss will be the first of back-to-back matches against ranked foes. The Tigers will face No. 45 Arizona State on the road, Friday, then will face Arizona and Denver, Sunday and Monday, respectively. Both Arizona and Denver were ranked earlier in the season, but fell out of the rankings that were released, Tuesday.