US College Signings 2019 (and general college chat)

the addict · Tennis legend

US College Signings 2019 (and general college chat)

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Another D1 uni cuts men's tennis

Florida A&M Universitys mens tennis and mens cross country programs will be eliminated in June 2020 as part of a plan to balance the Athletics Department budget and to offset a projected $2.4 million deficit.
https://eu.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/10/31/famu-eliminating-mens-tennis-mens-cross-country-programs-help-offset-project-2-4-million-deficit/4110402002/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardvedder/2019/03/14/3-college-crises-crisis-1-college-is-too-costly/

Markus Dayton on FB: " I keep expressing how hard it is for college tennis... ESPECIALLY the mens side with title IX! The cost have gone up and up for collegiate athletics and funding for it has gone down and down. People all the time tell me how they want full rides on the mens side! Just this morning a discussion with a pro with a guy telling me there are tons of mens full rides, get him one please! Him not believing me on how hard it is (especially for a 9 UTR). The facts are the average scholarships are 2.5 mens side and 3.75 womens (and lower that number if a university charges out-of-state, because that was not part of the polling). And these days the simple truth a board or trustees, President and AD will cut mens tennis faster than any other sport!"

Not aware of any Brits who have been at a uni where the tennis programme has been cut - but it pays to do your research prior to signing..........

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Thanks EP for the update, got to be honest dont really look outside the power conferences so had a look at Florida A and M which is school with a fascinating history as one of the historically black universities and colleges (HBCU) set up just after the American civil war.

They play in the FCS so have fewer (football/basketball/athletics) scholarships to play with, little or no TV revenue etc... all 13 members of their conference run basketball and athletics programmes only 11 football, 10 now 9 mens tennis, given that context I can completely understand why mens tennis (Where only 150 players worldwide break even playing professionally) and cross country would be where you would look to cut. The mens coach was an unpaid volunteer.

Having had 60 players in the NFL admittedly nobody at present, they also tried to become the only HBUC to play Div 1 football in 2004 but didnt quite achieve their aim, you can understand why that would be the Colleges primary focus and with a bit of success the cash may come pouring back in (but it is the FCS) They play in the southern division of the MEAC conference made up of other HBCUs

On a positive front and taking a purely British tennis scholar athlete the loss of Florida A and M mens tennis programme is going to have less impact than the creation of a PAC 12 mens tennis programme at Arizona State, Only 2yrs old but in a power conference which takes tennis seriously,?it probably already has had an impact through the development of Nathan Ponwith who I am sure will give pro tennis a crack. As mentioned in the Fort Worth thread there is a Brit in the programme Thomas Wright.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Sunday 17th of November 2019 06:37:28 AM

Elegant Point · Satellite level

ITA National Fall Championships starts today

- with round 64 mens singles and round 32 womens dubs

https://www.itatennis.com/ITA/Events/2019_Oracle_ITA_National_Fall_Championships.aspx?WebsiteKey=eb58e146-6a42-4310-ac1b-6985bca5fc9b

Selection criteria include 24 Regional ITA Championship finalists, 1 Oracle ITA Masters Champion, 4 ITA Divisionl Cup Champions and 21 'at large selections' based around ITA rankings

In the singles Brits are Charlie Broom, Alastair Gray, Ewan Moore and on the alternate list Connor Thompson. Those who took the Fall off (Paul Jubb) are excluded.

Charlie also in the dubs along with British pairings of Stevenson/Cutting, Okonkwo/Davies, Gray/Fearnley and Summers/Davies and Hudd/Hammond

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

ITA Nat Fall Championships (women):

Singles - Holly Hutchinson (Old Dominion); Megan Davies (South Carolina)

Doubles - Emily Arbuthnott/Angelica Blake (Stanford); Mimi Bland + (Freshman, Northern Arizona)

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

R64 win for Megan, Holly out 5-7 in the 3rd
Mimi+ through to R16 in doubles, Emily & Angelica lost in the mtb

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

Megan the sole survivor and will play the 7th seed in R16

Elegant Point · Satellite level

ITA Fall champs

Men's singles: losing in the R64 was Charlie Broom (4-6 3-6) and in the R32 Ewan Moore (4- 6 6-7) couldn't see Alastair Gray in the draw although he was on the selection list.

Men's doubles: R64 Cutting/Stevenson b Davies/Okonkwo 0-6 6-1 14/12 Hammond/Hudd lost 5-7 4-6 and will play Davies/Okonkwo in the consolation draw. Draper/Hoffman won 4-6 6-3 10/7. Gray/Fearnley won 7-5 6-3. Davis/Summers lost 7-5 2-6 7/10.Broom/Hoffner lost 6-3 6-1 4/10. Clegg/Snezhko lost 4-6 4-6.

R32:Cutting/Stevenson lost 4-6 6-3 7/10. Draper/Hoffman lost 5-7,4-6 and Gray/Fearnly lost 5-7 6-3

So despite some clearly hard fought matches, that's all of the Brits out of the tournament.......

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

Tennpar wrote:
Megan the sole survivor and will play the 7th seed in R16

Megan doing well with a 4&2 win and into the last 8

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

Fighting win for Megan 6-4 6-7 6-4 and she will face one of the Italian Turati sisters (Anna), in the semis.
Anna (WTA 553) and Bianca (371) are seniors at the University of Texas and presumably prepping for a life on tour. Anna has won her last five 15ks this summer, bar the one held at home at the uni 2 wks ago, which she lost to her sister, and of course they won the dubs together.
Megan is a junior at South Carolina so is just starting her 3rd year. NCAA Div 1 ranking of 125. The Turatis are in the top 20.

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

Megan bows out in the semis 3-6 4-6

Strongbow · All-time great

Tennpar wrote:
Megan bows out in the semis 3-6 4-6

Still a very good result - If Megan can reproduce this form she's in for a good year biggrin

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Delighted for former University of Memphis player Joe Salisbury at the ATP finals this week smile Memphis and college tennis in general was mentioned numerous times by the commentators, as a few of the doubles players seem to have come via this route.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Memphis have heavily recruited British juniors over the last decade. Jo is the first to really progress in the pro game, primarily down to an early decision to specialise in the less competitive area of doubles. Jo did well at college but didnt dominate nationally he seems to have been extremely focused in making his way as a pro. He is now 27 he has obviously done really well but my impression is that it is the work he has done post college has lifted him to a new level.

It would be interesting to know what sort of help and support to develop a doubles career Henry Patten is getting. Does anyone know?

Henry (with Oli Nolan) really put University of North Carolina Asheville on the college tennis map, dominating a weak conference in singles and doubles throughout his time at college and then winning a national doubles championship! My impression is the LTA almost need to be embarrassed into supporting college players and facilitating transition (ref Paul Jubb).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Congrats to Arthur Féry, one of our top two 2002 juniors, who shows he knows more than just how to hit a ball :)

Stamford here he comes......good choice.

Sarah Borwell

@sarahborwell
14h14 hours ago

Massive congratulations to @surrey_tennis Westside LTC student-athlete Arthur Fery who commits to @StanfordTennis FALL 2020. Arthur is one to watch for the future as he heads to one of the elite tennis & academic institutions in the world.