Men's Tennis No. 22 in Final Rankings
June 04, 2009 | Men's Tennis
June 4, 2009
The University of Louisville men's tennis team is No. 22 in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association Team Rankings of the 2009 season, marking the highest final ranking in program history. In addition, the Cards have also placed three among the nation's top singles players and doubles teams.
Austen Childs led the Cards at No. 26 followed by Viktor Maksimcuk (109) and Simon Childs (126) - marking the first time the Cards have had three players ranked at the end of the season. The doubles teams of Childs/Childs (29), Maksimcuk and Simon Childs (61)and Robert Rotaru and Alejandro Calligari (80) were also among the nation's top doubles teams.
Louisville finished the season with a 21-8 overall record and earned its sixth NCAA tournament berth. The 2009 Cardinals were ranked as high as 14th in the nation and spent nine weeks in the top 25.
"We achieved our first-ever top 25 finish is because our team did some right things at the end of the season like defeating our rival Notre Dame twice and Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament," said Ecarma. "The 2007-08 team started well but finished weak. These guys were prepared this time around to finish better and they did. I really like this team and the personalities they have. Coach Rodrigo da Silva helped the team a lot in his first year in Division 1. I feel the sky is the limit for this program."
"As I reflect on the season as a whole from September to May, it has been a very successful one," said U of L head coach Rex Ecarma. "Our team reached as high as No. 14, posted wins against 10 teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament and earned the top seed in the Big East Championships. Childs and Childs reached sixth in the country, and we took seven Big East Player of the Week honors. We accomplished many significant milestones."
Austen Childs (Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand) ends his sophomore campaign where he started - at his career-best No. 26, where he also stood in the preseason rankings. Childs posted a 28-13 overall record and went 19-4 playing mostly as the Cards' top seed. The 2009 BIG EAST Player of the Year was also a first team all-league selection and earned BIG EAST Player of the Week honors three times. Childs also earned his second straight trip to the NCAA Singles Championship this season.
We have a `top 25' banner at the tennis center that Austen just missed," said Ecarma. "This reflects the quality and depth of our schedule. It is impossible to get three players ranked unless you are playing NCAA Tournament caliber teams in almost every match. It has taken many years to get to this point in scheduling and fortunately we have a squad that is good enough to handle it." Maksimcuk (Subotica, Serbia) finished the season at No. 109 after compiling a team-best 31-10 overall singles record and going 21-7 playing mostly at No. 2. He earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors and became the first league player of the week.
Simon Childs (Hillington, England) closes the season at No. 121. He registered a 24-13 mark and went 19-9 while playing mostly at No. 3. Childs was also a BIG EAST selection and a two time league player of the week.
The duo of Austen Childs (Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand) and Simon Childs (Hillington, England) stands in a No. 29 after peaking at No. 6 for the highest ranking in program history earlier in the season. Childs and Childs teamed for a 26-9 overall record in 2009 and were at 13-5 at the No. 1 position and earned their second consecutive NCAA Doubles Championship bid.
Simon Childs also teamed with Maksimcuk to form the 61st ranked team in the nation. Childs and Maksimcuk posted a 5-1 record as Louisville's top-seed in the last part of the season.
Senior Robert Rotaru (Toronto, Ontario) and sophomore Alejandro Calligari (Bradenton, Fla.) round out the ranked Cardinal teams at No. 80. The tandem registered a 24-6 mark and went 14-4 playing mostly at No. 2.
"Obviously, we made big strides in our doubles this season and this was shown in having three ranked doubles team," said Ecarma. "These guys are playing more high percentage doubles and are moving around the net actively. They already had good returns and this summer we will beef up their serves so I feel these doubles rankings will get higher."
Players Mentioned
