The University of Mississippi Athletics
Men's Tennis Player Wins Regional Award
5/18/2000 | Track and Field
May 18, 2000
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss men's tennis freshman Alexander Hartman won the ITA Region III Player-to-Watch Award as the regional awards were announced Thursday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Hartman joins eight winners from Division I schools around the country and is now eligible for the national award which will be announced next week at the NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga.
Hartman, a native of Klippan, Sweden, first got the nation's attention at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships. Playing in his first collegiate tournament, Hartman won seven of eight matches as he advanced all the way from the pre-qualifying to the round of 16. One of the top freshmen in the country, Hartman earned All-SEC second team honors in the nation's toughest league and is currently ranked No. 26 in the nation in singles.
With a 32-17 overall record, Hartman was one of only three freshmen to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championships, which will take place May 24-28 in Athens, Ga.
"Alex is the second-highest ranked freshman in the nation and has the potential to be one of college's best," head coach Billy Chadwick said. He has a great work ethic and has excelled both on the court and in the classroom. His future is very bright."
The ITA Player-to-Watch Award is given to a nationally-ranked player, who has just completed his first year in collegiate tennis and is expected to be one of the top returning players next year and possibly win a grand slam event.
With Hartman's selection as the Player to Watch, the Rebels have now had five regional award winners. Ole Miss' first All-American, Dave Randall, went on to win the ITA Raphael Osuna National Sportsmanship Award in 1989 and 1995 NCAA Doubles Champion Mahesh Bhupathi was named the ITA/Tennis Match Magazine Rookie of the Year in 1994. In 1996, leading the Rebels to the SEC Championship, Chadwick was named Coach of the Year. Assistant coach Mark Beyers won the Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 1997.