The University of Mississippi Athletics
Fast-Rising Fallert
5/24/2017 | Men's Tennis
By Dylan Edwards
Athletics Communications Assistant
As Fabian Fallert and his doubles partner, Grey Hamilton, get set to compete in the NCAA Doubles Championship in Athens, Georgia, Fallert's second season at Ole Miss is beginning to wind down.
In his sophomore year at Ole Miss, it's safe to say Fallert found his stride and really came into his own as one of the key pieces for Ole Miss tennis.
Playing No. 1 doubles with Hamilton week-in-and-week out, the two have garnered a No. 19 national ranking and a 16-11 record while playing against some of the toughest teams in the nation.
"We both have a great attitude and good energy on the court," Fallert said. "When you see us playing, we're always the loudest out there on the court. We bring the energy from the beginning."
Doubles was Fallert's passion when he arrived at Ole Miss, but the Lichtenstein, Germany, native dominated while manning the No. 4 singles spot for the Rebels. Fallert concluded his sophomore year in singles with a record of 25-6 overall, 19-3 in dual matches, and 10-1 in SEC play. He earned All-SEC Second Team honors.
"I felt from the beginning of the season that I was in pretty good shape," Fallert said. "Over the break, I played a lot and worked on my fitness. From the very beginning, I felt pretty good about the whole season. Compared to last season, I was more comfortable. If you win matches, you get confidence. You go out there, and it helps in the tight situations."
That consistency obviously led to him playing with confidence, but it also had an effect on his teammates. Since they know what to expect every time out at No. 4 singles, it makes getting to four points to win the match seem much more manageable.
"It's pretty ridiculous, honestly," Hamilton said. "When you have a guy that's going to win pretty much every single match he plays, it gives you a lot more confidence. You feel like if we win the doubles point, we're already up 2-0 because we're that confident Fabian is going to win. That lets you calm down a little bit because you know there's not as much pressure."
A big difference from year one to year two for Fallert was growing more comfortable in his surroundings. After all, the transition to college can be difficult for anyone. He was doing it as a student-athlete from Germany.
"It was, for sure, not easy for me," Fallert said. "Completely new surroundings and new coaches with the school as well, so there was a lot of stuff going on. I had to find my way. I don't think last season was bad, but I had a lot of ups and downs. Now I feel like I'm getting everything under control. Overall, it's working out better."
It's definitely fair to say Fallert's sophomore year has worked out, as he put it. However, it's not finished yet. As Fallert and Hamilton focus in on advancing in the NCAA Doubles Championship, they know from experience of playing the No. 1 doubles position in the SEC that they can hang with some of the top pairings in the nation.
"We're happy that we have the opportunity, and that the coaches let us play all year long," Fallert said. "We've had a lot of good matches through the season and last fall. We've played really good teams. The goal for us is to get more consistent."
