Stanford recorded its best season in 15 years, completed the 2018 campaign with a 22-4 mark. The Cardinal, ranked in the top-five in the ITA poll for the majority of the season, finished No. 7 in the ITA rankings. Stanford reached as high as No. 2 in the rankings in February. The Cardinal earned the No. 4 overall seed in the NCAA Championships.
11TH CONSECUTIVE NCAA APPEARANCE
Stanford made its 11th consecutive and 39th all-time NCAA appearance in the Championships in 2018, earning the No. 4 overall seed in the 64-team tournament and serving as one of 16 NCAA regional hosts. Stanford's No. 4 seed in the NCAA Championships was its highest since earning the No. 1 overall seed in 2001.
The Cardinal posted a 4-0 victory over New Mexico State in the first round, before dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 38 Ole Miss in a marathon second-round match at Taube Family Tennis Stadium. BEST REGULAR SEASON IN 17 YEARS
Stanford completed the 2018 regular season 20-2 overall for its best regular season finish since 2001, when the Cardinal posted a 21-1 record. At 11-0, Stanford posted its first undefeated regular season at home since 2006.
SECOND-PLACE PAC-12 FINISH
Stanford, which finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 standings with a 7-1 record, reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Cardinal downed Washington, 4-2, in its first match, before falling to No. 12 USC, 4-0, in the conference tournament semifinals.
THE RANKINGS
Stanford, which completed the season No. 7 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings as a team, placed three individuals in the final singles poll. Senior Tom Fawcett, who was ranked as high as No. 9 in the ITA singles poll during the season, finished No. 13. Freshman Axel Geller completed his standout first year on The Farm No. 86 in the ITA poll. Junior Sameer Kumar finished the year No. 107 in the rankings.
Two Cardinal doubles teams completed the season in the top-65 in the ITA rankings. Fawcett and Geller finished the season No. 30, while Kumar and fellow junior Michael Genender finished the year No. 63.
NCAA SINGLES AND DOUBLES
Senior Tom Fawcett earned an invitation to the 64-person NCAA Singles Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Fawcett and freshman Axel Geller were selected to compete in the 32-team NCAA Doubles Tournament.
Fawcett dropped a three-set thriller to No. 23 Giovanni Oradini of Mississippi State (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) in the opening round.
In the doubles tournament, Fawcett and Geller fell in a third-set 10-point tiebreaker to Florida's Johannes Ingildsen and Alfredo Perez in the first round, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 10-4.
ALL-PAC-12 TRIO
Senior Tom Fawcett earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors all four years of his standout career. He was one of three all-conference honorees for the Cardinal in 2018. Freshman Axel Geller was a second-team selection and graduate student Eric Fomba was an honorable mention pick.
Another year, another @ITA_Tennis All-America selection for Tom Fawcett.
— Stanford Men's Tennis (@StanfordTennis) June 7, 2018
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FAWCETT COMPLETES CARDINAL CAREER AS THREE-TIME ALL-AMERICAN
Senior Tom Fawcett earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-America honors in singles for the third consecutive season.
A team captain, Fawcett established himself among Stanford's all-time greats over the past four years. He ranks 27th in program history in career dual victories (53). The senior earned his fourth bid to the NCAA Singles Championship this spring. He competed in both the NCAA Singles and Double Championships.
Fawcett was ranked among the top-10 in the nation for the majority of the season and completed the year 13th in the final ITA poll. He finished his senior season 20-6 overall with an 11-4 mark in dual play with wins over 10 nationally-ranked opponents this season. He recorded four clinching points this season against No. 22 Tulane, No. 5 USC, No. 10 Illinois and No. 4 Georgia, earning Pac-12 Player of the Week honors twice during the season.
Fawcett, who reached the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Singles Championship, concluded his singles career on The Farm with a 90-36 record.
Teammate Axel Geller and Fawcett formed the No. 30 doubles team in the latest Oracle/ITA doubles poll. He owned a 23-12 record in doubles overall, playing with Geller, Michael Genender, William Genesen and Timothy Sah.
Fawcett was the first three-time ITA All-American since Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher were recognized from 2010-12.
COUPE CAPTURES NATIONAL COACHING HONOR
Stanford men's tennis' James and Martha Poppy Associate Head Coach, Brandon Coupe, was voted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Assistant Coach of the Year. In his 11th season as a coach at Stanford, Coupe helped develop a 2018 lineup that was highlighted by three ranked singles players and two ranked doubles teams throughout the season.
QUARTET EARN ITA REGIONAL AWARDS
Four members were recognized with Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Awards. Stanford's Taube Family Director of Men's Tennis, Paul Goldstein, was honored as the ITA Northwest Region Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also captured the award in 2015.
Brandon Coupe was voted the ITA Northwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Senior Tom Fawcett was recognized as the ITA Northwest Region Senior Player of the Year and freshman Axel Geller was honored as the ITA Northwest Region Rookie of the Year.
CARDINAL LEADS THE WAY IN PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC HONOREES
Five members of Stanford were named to the Pac-12 Men's Tennis All-Academic Team. Seniors Tom Fawcett and David Wilczynski, and juniors Sameer Kumar and Michael Genender each earned first-team honors, making up half of the conference's eight-member first team. Sophomore William Genesen was named to the second team.
In four years under Taube Family Director of Men's Tennis, Paul Goldstein, Stanford has totaled a conference-leading 20 Pac-12 All-Academic honorees on the first and second team. The total is seven more than the next closest program. The Cardinal has placed four members on the first team in back-to-back years. Stanford has led or tied for the conference lead in all-academic selections on the first and second teams for nine consecutive seasons.
WILCZYNSKI'S STANDOUT CARDINAL CAREER
Senior David Wilczynski won 76 games in his standout career on The Farm. He ranks 31st in Stanford history in career dual wins with 48. Wilczynski recorded 20 wins in his final season, totaling 38 victories over his final two years as a Cardinal. The senior captured the tournament singles title at the UCSB Classic in the fall. Wilczynski was a three-time All-Pac-12 honoree. The science, technology and society major has also been recognized with conference all-academic accolades multiple times during his Stanford career.