Year in ReviewYear in Review
Men's Tennis

Year in Review

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STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford finished the 2020-21 season as Pac-12 champions in men's tennis for the first time since 2015, while the title was the program's first in outright fashion since 2003. The Cardinal went 11-6 on the season with a 6-1 mark in Pac-12 play, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Charlottesville, Virginia.
 

Pac-12 ChampionsWinning the conference title with a sweep, Stanford men's tennis rolled to a 7-0 win over Washington on Sunday, April 18. The title was Stanford's 18th conference championship in men's tennis.

Stanford got out to a quick start in doubles, winning on courts one and three. The tandem of Arthur Fery and Alexandre Rotsaert coasted to a 6-0 victory on court three, while the pair of Axel Geller and Tomas Kopczynski picked up a 6-3 triumph in the top spot.
 
The Cardinal won all six singles matches to complete its second 7-0 shutout of the season. Rotsaert and Neel Rajesh gave Stanford a 3-0 lead with straight set wins on courts four and six, respectively, while Tristan Boyer clinched the match and the league championship on court four, 7-5, 6-2. Axel Geller closed out his win at the top spots in straight sets, his third of the year over a ranked singles opponent, while Timothy Sah and Fery each won in three sets.

Back-to-Back Heroics from Sah

Timothy Sah scored back-to-back clinching points in Stanford's 4-3 wins over No. 34/25 UCLA and No. 15/12 USC on April 9 and 10, respectively. Stanford trailed 3-0 to UCLA, before rattling off three straight singles wins to tie the match. Sah, who was undeterred after dropping a 10-8 tiebreaker in the second set, won the final four games in the third for a 6-4 win to clinch the match. Facing a similar scenario against the Trojans just 24 hours later, tied at 3-3 while competing in the final singles match, Sah stormed back from a 6-7, 0-5 deficit, and a 3-5 hole in the third set, to win the deciding point, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (7), 7-5, and send the team into jubilation. Sah was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week as a result. 

The two wins helped the team to a 5-0 start in conference play, and were instrumental in eventually winning the outright Pac-12 Championship.

Talent Up and Down the Roster

Stanford was among the final program's nationally to begin the season due to restrictions in Santa Clara County, but it didn't stop the program from a productive season. 11 student-athletes registered at least one singles win, while eight earned at least one in doubles. Freshman Arthur Fery had a tremendous introduction to college tennis, leading the team with a 13-3 singles mark and 12-2 doubles record. Senior Axel Geller - who was hailed as the top senior in the Northwest region by the ITA - went 6-6 in singles, playing almost entirely at the No. 1 position, and 8-5 in doubles. Tristan Boyer and Timothy Sah won eight singles matches each, while Alexandre Rotsaert and William Genesen tallied five. Genesen was also honored for his work in the classroom, as he was named the Pac-12 Men's Tennis Scholar Athlete of the Year.
 

Honor Roll Arthur Fery
All-Pac-12 Second Team
Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 8) Axel Geller
ITA Northwest Senior Player of the Year
All-Pac-12 First Team William Genesen
Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year Timothy Sah
Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award
ITA Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award
Pac-12 Player of the Week (April 12) Paul Goldstein
Wilson ITA Northwest Coach of the Year