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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Netter Gard No. 1 In Preseason National Rankings
9/10/2004 | Men's Tennis
Sept. 10, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss men's tennis senior Catalin Gard is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's preseason national rankings released Friday by the ITA. The preseason national rankings are for singles and doubles only, with the first team ranking to be released in January.
The 2004 SEC Player of the Year, Gard becomes the fifth Rebel since 1995 to be ranked No. 1 in either singles or doubles and the second to begin the year ranked No. 1. Former All-American and SEC Player of the Year Johan Hede began the 1996 season ranked No. 1 in the nation. Seven-time grand slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi and former All-American Ali Hamadeh finished the 1995 season No. 1 after winning the NCAA Doubles Championship. A two-time All-American, Sebastien DeChaunac spent part of the 1998 season ranked No. 1.
Gard, spent most of last year ranked in the top five, reaching as high as No. 2, before ending the year at No. 4.
"I am very happy to be ranked No. 1 in the nation," Gard said. "It's a huge honor to be included in the same sentence with some of the best players ever to play at Ole Miss. I look forward to improving my game this year. We have a great team, and hopefully we can win the national championship. It would be a great way to cap off my career."
In 2004, Gard led the Rebels to a final national ranking of No. 5, the overall SEC Championship and their third consecutive SEC Western Division title. Additional honors included head coach Billy Chadwick being named SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.
Gard posted an impressive 10-1 record in the nation's toughest conference to become the third Rebel to nab the league's top honor. In addition, Gard earned All-America honors for the second year in a row, and was also named to the CoSIDA District VI Academic All-America At-Large second team.
The significance of Gard earning conference player of the year honors in 2004 is evident by the fact that the SEC boasts five of the preseason top 10 singles players.
Gard, who spent the entire 2004 season ranked in doubles as well, begins this year ranked No. 25 in doubles with freshman Bram Ten Berge. Sophomore Eric Claesson and junior Juan Pablo Di Cesare are ranked No. 50 in doubles.
The Rebels are competing in the USTA First Guaranty Wildcard Tournament in Hammond, La., this weekend. The winner of the event receives a wildcard into the USTA Challenger in Covington, La., in two weeks.