Chesworth and Cameron also excel on the doubles court, where they have been pre-season ranked the No. 14 doubles tandem in the country.
After
an extremely successful 2001 season during which the Furman men's tennis team
won the Southern Conference Tournament, appeared in its first NCAA Tournament,
and earned head coach Paul Scarpa his 700th victory, the Paladins return hoping
to continue their winning ways against one of the tougher schedules in the country.
64th ranked Furman's first twelve matches are against nationally ranked opponents, with the first eleven of those matches being played away from the friendly confines of Mickel Tennis Center. Furman will be facing such foes as defending national champion Georgia, seventh ranked Notre Dame, ninth ranked Southern Methodist, nineteenth ranked Texas Christian, and the twenty-third ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
Many might consider such a daunting schedule as too tough a hurdle to overcome. Coach Scarpa views it in a different light.
"Our schedule shows how much respect other highly ranked teams have for Furman tennis," said the legendary coach. "It also displays our commitment to playing top schools."
Furman will head into this season led by juniors John Chesworth and James Cameron. Chesworth, preseason ranked No. 11 in the Mideast Region, is coming off outstanding summer and fall seasons, during which he collected three singles titles and one doubles championship on England's grass courts, the last of these being at the prestigious Worthing Girobank Open, and won the Clemson Fall Classic.
Cameron, one of the Paladin captains who is currently ranked No. 21 in the
Mideast Region, is an excellent all-around player who will look to build upon
a solid 2001 campaign during which he recorded a 15-9 singles record and earned
All-Conference honors.
Chesworth and Cameron also excel on the doubles court, where they have been
pre-season ranked the No. 14 doubles tandem in the country.
Furman will also look to seniors and co-captains Patrick Gaughan and Peter Netzler to help continue the Paladin winning tradition. Gaughan registered a 13-7 singles record in 2001 while playing mostly at the No. 4 spot, while Netzler, who Scarpa considers one of the more improved players on the team, will challenge for significant playing time at both singles and doubles. Seniors Jete O'Keeffe, Michael Jacobson, Jerome Johnson, and Branham Tomarchio will also look to contribute.
Junior Chris Henderson, a solid singles and doubles player who is coming off an excellent 2001 season, will also play a key role in the Paladins' run this year. Henderson registered a 14-7 singles record last year while playing mostly at the No. 5 spot and a 21-7 doubles mark with partner Charlie Lloyd.
Sophomores Patrick Fillnow and Andrew Rogers will also play important roles this season. Fillnow and Rogers are a lethal doubles team, as they recorded an 18-7 mark last year while playing mostly at No. 2. They also enjoyed a successful fall together, including a win at the Georgia Tech Fall Classic. Fillnow is also coming off an outstanding fall singles campaign, during which he won the consolation bracket at the Georgia Tech Fall Classic. Rogers, an outstanding serve-and-volley player, has also improved in singles and will challenge for singles playing time.
The Paladins will also count on a solid freshmen class to contribute this season. Ryan McCarthy, a player whose quickness and strong baseline play may remind one of professional tennis player Lleyton Hewitt, could challenge for significant playing time. Allen Simmons, a Clinton, S.C. native who had considerable success as a junior, and Dasef Weems, a highly regarded player out of Atlanta, will also figure into the lineup.
Junior Fernando Polanco, sophomores Art Baker, Justin DiMaio, and Joe Rossi, and freshmen Edward Crouch, Branden Futch, Devin Kahan, and Kevin Lackey will add considerable depth to the Paladins' roster this season.