Four Men's Tennis Players Earn Preseason ITA National Rankings
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Four University of Florida men's tennis players were ranked among the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's preseason individual rankings, released over the weekend.
Senior Nassim Slilam (Paris, France) is the highest-ranked Gator, coming in at No. 37 in the country. He recorded a team-best 20 wins during the 2011 dual-match season and had a 25-11 record overall, including tournament play last fall.
Junior Bob van Overbeek (Boca Raton, Fla.) checks in at No. 58 on the preseason rankings after finishing 117th in the final ITA singles rankings in the spring. He finished the 2010-11 season with a 26-12 singles mark and a 19-11 doubles record. Junior Frank Carleton (Naples, Fla.), who transferred from Wake Forest over the summer, is ranked No. 69 in the preseason singles rankings. Carleton recorded 27 singles wins in two years at Wake Forest.
Junior Billy Federhofer (North Miami, Fla.) is ranked No. 119 in the preseason poll after finishing last season with a 21-16 singles record.
The doubles pair of Slilam and Federhofer is ranked No. 36 in the preseason rankings. The pair concluded the 2011 dual match season with a 13-3 record, including an 8-2 mark in Southeastern Conference action.
Florida is tied for fourth in the country with four singles players ranked in the top 125. Among SEC teams, the Gators rank second, just behind Georgia's five ranked players.
The Gators will open the fall season this weekend, hosting the annual Gator Invitational from Friday, Sept. 16 – Sunday, Sept. 18.
Florida Players in ITA Preseason Rankings
Singles
37 – Nassim Slilam
58 – Bob van Overbeek
69 – Frank Carleton
119 – Billy Federhofer
Doubles
36 – Billy Federhofer/Nassim Slilam
Players in the ITA Top 125 Singles Rankings (NCAA)
6 – Ohio State
5 – Georgia
5 – Virginia
4 – FLORIDA
4 – Mississippi St.
4 – Pepperdine
Players in the ITA Top 125 Singles Rankings (SEC)
5 – Georgia
4 – FLORIDA
4 – Mississippi St.
3 – Auburn
3 – Kentucky
3 – Ole Miss
2 – Alabama
2 – LSU
2 – Vanderbilt
