ELON, N.C. – Elon University men’s tennis standouts Cameron Silverman and Stefan Fortmann earned preseason singles and doubles rankings by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), the association’s office announced late yesterday, Jan. 3.
Silverman earned a No. 21 national ranking in singles, the highest ever by an Elon player, while Fortmann is ranked 117th in the nation heading into this upcoming season. In doubles, Silverman and Fortmann earned a No. 22 preseason ranking.
Elon is the only team in the Southern Conference with any players nationally ranked. It marks the first time the program has had two players nationally ranked at the same time.
Silverman finished his fall campaign with a 12-5 record and was the first player in Elon history to play in the prestigious 32-man USTA/ITA National Championships. In the semifinals of the ITA Carolina Regional in Cary, N.C., in October, Silverman earned one of the most important wins in program history when he topped the nation’s number one player, Henrique Cunha from Duke, in three sets (7-5, 3-6, 6-4) to advance to the singles championship match. During his run in Cary, Silverman went 5-1 with wins over the nation’s top-ranked and 55th-ranked player, as well as the country’s top freshman/newcomer. Silverman went 18-9 in singles last spring for the Phoenix.
Fortmann, the reigning SoCon Freshman of the Year, posted a 7-3 record in singles this past fall and a 17-8 mark last spring. In doubles with Silverman during the fall, the duo recorded a 9-2 mark. Last spring, Silverman and Fortmann played just six matches together in doubles competition, going 5-1.
Elon begins its 2013 spring season on Jan. 19 when it faces fifth-ranked Duke at noon in Durham, N.C.