STANFORD, Calif. - Those within the tennis world know the legacy that the Stanford men's tennis program has in its storied history. Head coach Paul Goldstein within only three years has brought prominence back to the program as showcased by back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances with more on the horizon with the elite performances by senior All-American Tom Fawcett and incoming freshman Axel Geller last weekend at the U.S. Open.
Fawcett claimed the U.S. Open Men's Collegiate Invitational title while Geller reached the U.S. Open Boys' Finals, about a month after he also reached the Wimbledon Boys' Final and won the Wimbledon Boys' Doubles title.
Fawcett's run to the title included two straight-set wins, one against Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, whom the Cardinal fell to in the semifinals of the NCAA singles championship last May. Full results for Fawcett can be found here.
Geller collected four straight-set victories en route to reaching the final, where he fell to the second-seeded Yibing Wu of China. Full results for Geller can be found here.
With credentials like a two-time All-American in Fawcett, who compiled another top-15 ranking last season, combined with Geller and a seasoned roster returning for the 2017-18 season, the Cardinal is primed to become an immediate threat for its 18th NCAA title.
Geller enters this year as a freshman from Argentina that will come to the The Farm this fall with an eye on majoring in economics as well as holding a No. 6 ranking in the world for juniors tennis. He commented, "The winning tradition at Stanford motivated me to join the team, and also the fact that so many players went on to be great professional players, which shows me I'm coming to the right place to pursue my dream."
The Cardinal returns to action this fall for its tournament season before opening its dual season January 19 against San Francisco at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
