The Emory University men's tennis team opens the 2021-22 campaign this weekend when it travels to Rome, Georgia, to compete in the ITA South Region Championships. Action begins on Friday (Sept. 24) and runs through Sunday. The event will be held at the Rome Tennis Center with Berry College serving as the host.
The event will feature top players from Division III schools in the region. The singles and doubles champions from this weekend's tournament advance to the Oct. 14-17 ITA Cup (formerly the Small College Championships) which will also be held at the Rome Tennis Center.
Emory Head Coach John Browning returns 12 players from last year's squad that brought home the program's sixth-ever national title. The Eagles compiled a record of 10-3 during the abbreviated campaign that culminated with a 5-2 win over Case Western Reserve in the finals of the NCAA D-III Championships. Headlining the veteran contingent is the senior duo of Antonio Mora (Miami, FL) and Andrew Esses (Houston, TX). The pair has combined for 63 singles victories and 74 wins in doubles during their careers while helping the Eagles to a pair of national crowns. Though hampered by injuries last spring, Mora teamed with the graduated Hayden Cassone to capture All-America acclaim in doubles, ending the campaign with an overall effort of 6-1. An All-American in singles after claiming the 2019 ITA South Region Singles Championship, Mora has compiled a career mark of 34-7 during his career. Senior Sahil Raina (Johns Creek, GA) is a tested performer who turned in a doubles record of 8-2 last year while registering a dozen singles victories during the 2018-19 season. Sophomore Nolan Shah (Plainsboro, NJ), who emerged as a key contributor during Emory's postseason charge and who accounted for the national championship clinching point against Case Western at six singles, aims for a big season as well. Other vets who saw a fair amount of action last year include junior Mark Sverdlov (Sunny Isles Beach, FL) and senior Pushkar Shinde (Portland, OR). A number of players who have been waiting in the wings look to make an impact this year – sophomore Brandon Cohen (New York, Ny), junior William Coupe (Oakland, CA), sophomore Ryan Glanville (Greenwich, CT), junior Michael Moll (Naples, FL), junior Daniel Sanz (Atlanta), and sophomore Sujay Sharma (New Hyde Park, NY).
Two newcomers dot the roster - freshman Marc Goedemans (Manhattan Beach, CA) and graduate student Santiago Suarez (Tucker, GA).
Emory will be looking to continue its success in singles as it has claimed 13 of the past 14 champions when the event has been contested (no regional championship in 2020). Draws for this year's event had not been posted at the time this release was written.
A host of schools will descend upon Rome for the ITAs including Sewanee, Guilford, Emory & Henry, Birmingham Southern, North Carolina Wesleyan, Rhodes, Berry, Centre, Covenant College, Oglethorpe, Piedmont, Millsaps, LaGrange and Belhaven.