Category: Hall of Fame Feature

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sargis Sargsian wondered how he’d celebrate. Up 5-2 in the third set of the 1995 NCAA Men’s singles championship against USC’s Brett Hansen, Sargsian was feeling it. He was moments away from becoming Arizona State’s first national champion. History was at his fingertips as he served for the match. As his mind drifted, Hansen dug in. “Well,” Sargsian recounts, “I double-faulted. I lost that game. He held, and now it’s 5-4 and I’m not thinking about a celebration anymore.” Sargsian, the top-seeded individual at the ‘95 championships, rebounded to look the part of the country’s top player. A “monster game” propelled him to a narrow 6-4 win in the third-set, and ultimately, legacy. He remains the only Sun Devil to be crowned a national champion. “It was just a relief,” he said. “When you play a match this close and match this big, it was just a happy relief. That tournament just felt like it was meant for me to win it.” It’s been thirty years since Sargsian was perfect. Nobody was better than the Sun Devil sophomore in 1995, and certainly not at these NCAA Championships. Days before play began, Sargsian had a practice match against ASU’s No. 6 singles player – and hardly broke a sweat in a clean 6-0, 6-0 win. It couldn’t have been better timing for Sargsian, who grappled with physical and mental fatigue in the month leading up to the championships. “That whole year, I was playing unbelievable. I won a lot of matches, but when we got closer to NCAAs, I kind of burned out. My game, I took a couple of losses, but my game fell apart a little bit. One month before NCAAs, I remember just working really hard and pushing myself really hard. My game wasn’t near my best, not even close, and when we went to the tournament, I remember having a practice with our No. 6. I drilled him, 6-0, 6-0.  “At that moment, I was like, I guess this is meant to be. I’m going to win this.” “He was a great athlete and a tremendous mover,” former Arizona State head coach Lou Belken said. “A really, really awesome mover. He had a great backhand. He obviously competed well. Not only was he a great match player for us, but he was the kind of guy who did not like to lose in practice. If you beat him in practice, you beat him. Quite frankly, I don’t ever remember guys beating him. He was there to compete and did a good job with it. He was a dominant player.” Sargsian’s journey to both the collegiate space and Tempe, Arizona was rather circuitous. While attending the Institute of Sport in Armenia, he came to the United States by way of the national team in 1993 to compete against Ivy League schools in the northeast. While playing stateside, Belken was tipped off by several guys who were wowed by Sargsian’s talents at a local tournament. “One of them called me and said, ‘Coach, this kid can really play and he’s looking for a school,’” Belken remembers. “I was actually recruiting somebody else at the time and didn’t really act on it. Another guy called me and said, ‘Coach, this kid can really play.’ Finally, the first guy called me again and said, ‘This kid can really play.’ “Well, he was right.” Sargsian largely flew under the radar prior to this, and Belken’s priorities quickly shifted to bringing him to Tempe. Despite writing to a number of schools and coaches, Sargsian received just two offers once he became dedicated to pursuing a collegiate career – the University of Miami and Arizona State. The Sun Devils offered a full-ride scholarship and Sargsian packed his bags and headed west. In the fall of 1994, it was evident the Sun Devils had a unique talent in Sargsian. “The first tournament I took him to,” Belken said, “they had a thing called the national clay courts, and he started off in the qualifying draw there and then lost in the final of the main draw. I had a pretty good idea then that he was a good player.” He quickly established himself as one of the country’s most elite players before a back injury suffered at the conference tournament halted what was sure to be a lengthy run at his first NCAA Championships. Instead, Sargsian headed home that summer to address his nagging pain. “We were just hoping he got through the surgery and could continue on playing,” Belken said. “He ended up being the most dominant player in the country the next year.” Sargsian returned to Tempe for his sophomore year as a more polished product. He won three grand slam championships in 1995, capped with the singles championship on May 21. Even today, thirty years removed from hoisting the singles title, Sargsian is amazed by the gravity of being an NCAA champion. “What’s funny about the NCAA, is I go on tour and I was top-50, and so many times people say, ‘Oh, cool, you’re top-50.’ But whenever I say I won the NCAAs, it feels like it has more pull than when you were a professional. Top-100 [on tour]? Yeah, no big deal. ‘Oh, you won NCAAs? Wow.’ “If I didn’t go to Arizona State, there was no way I would make it to professional tennis. Unquestionably. How much I improved in college is just crazy. I’m really not exaggerating when I say this: If I don’t go to college and I don’t get a scholarship and I try to play on the tour, I don’t make it. It helped me tremendously. Without it, I would not have achieved what I have achieved. It was my gateway to [professional] tennis.”

While at USC, Stan Smith was a three-time All-American, the 1968 NCAA Division I Singles Champion and alongside Bob Lutz, the NCAA Doubles Champion in 1967 and 1968.

During his time at Stanford, Wheaton earned All-American accolades and grabbed an All-Pac-10 selection, qualifying for both singles and doubles at the NCAA Championships.

Dr. Brian Hainline received the 2016 ITA David A Benjamin Achievement Award. This past spring, Dr. Hainline was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame.

The ITA Division I Men’s National Team Indoor Championship is a National Championship that welcomes 16 of the top men’s teams from across the country to battle it out on a national stage. Now heading into its 50th year, the ITA Division I National Men’s Indoor Championship has seen the likes of players such as John McEnroe, John Isner, Kevin Anderson, JJ Wolf, and most recently Ben Shelton all compete. The tournament has also been witness to ITA Men’s Hall of Fame members including former Illini Head Coach Craig Tiley.   Tiley led the Fighting Illini to the ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championship titles in 2003 and 2004. In 2003, his team continued on in dominant fashion by also taking the NCAA Men’s Tennis National title with a perfect 32-0 record. Combined with their record from 2002, Tiley coached Illinois to the program’s longest consecutive win streak in NCAA history at 64 matches.  As the head coach of the Illini from 1992-2005, Tiley held a career record of 274-77 (.781) and guided the team to nine Big Ten regular-season titles and six Big Ten Tournament championships. Tiley was a two-time Wilson ITA Division I National Coach of the Year (1999, 2003) and eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.   Following his time at Illinois, Tiley served as the Director of Player Development for Tennis Australia. In 2006, he was named Director of the Australian Open and in 2013, was selected as the successor of the governing body that oversees tennis in Australia. Tiley also served as captain of the South Africa Davis Cup team from 1998-2001. Tiley was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.  For more information regarding the 2024 ITA Division I National Men’s Team Indoor Championships, visit the tournament event page.   About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors. About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the 2023-24 college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

The Australian Open, held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, has witnessed the triumphs of many ITA Hall of Famers including Alex Olmedo and Dorothy Cheney.   Born in Peru in 1936, Alex Olmedo came to the United States in 1954 and two years later, began his great Southern Cal career under coach George Toley. While at USC, Olmedo won the singles and doubles NCAA titles in 1956 and ‘58. Playing for the US Davis Cup team in 1958, Olmedo led the Americans to the title, winning both of his singles matches and teaming with Ham Richardson in doubles to beat Australia in the final. The duo teamed up again later that same year to win the US Championships, now the US Open, at Forest Hills.  The following year in 1959, Olmedo rose to No. 2 in the world, winning both the Australian and Wimbledon singles titles. At the Australian, Olmedo defeated Australia’s Neale Fraser 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to claim the title. By the end of his professional career, Olmedo won 21 titles and had a career singles record of 401-358. After retiring from tennis in 1965, Olmedo became the teaching pro at the Beverly Hills Hotel where he worked with stars like Katharine Hepburn, Robert Duvall and Chevy Chase. Olmedo was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1983 and to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.  Much like Olmedo, Dorothy Cheney found success down under at the Australian Open. The daughter of tennis pioneer May Sutton, Cheney learned the game of tennis from her Aunt Florence, adopting her mother’s famous Western forehand. In 1936, Cheney broke into the USLTA, now the USTA, Top 10 and two years later became the first American woman to win the Australian singles title. In the 1938 Australian Championship final, now known as the Australian Open, Cheney defeated Australia’s Dorothy Stevensen in a straight set 6-3, 6-2 victory.    Cheney entered Rollins College while continuing to compete and find success nationally, taking the US Clay Court singles title in 1944. Rejoining the international circuit following World War II, Cheney reached the mixed doubles finals at Wimbledon and the French Open in 1946. In 1957, Cheney began competing at the senior level, launching a record-setting winning streak.  Cheney was inducted into the ITA Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998 and to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004.  About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors. About the ITA – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the 2023-24 college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.

As the calendar year comes to a close, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) would like to celebrate milestones of ITA Hall of Fame members whose anniversaries were marked during this past year. Today, we reflect on five of these milestones. 100 Years Since the First Wightman Cup Was Held (1923)  Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman was among the most influential figures in tennis, as well as one of the most beloved. “Mrs. Wightie” is celebrated for her lifelong work promoting women’s tennis, embodied in the Ladies International Tennis Challenge, better known as the Wightman Cup.  Wightman’s battle for international competition in women’s tennis resulted in the Wightman Cup challenge between the U.S. and Great Britain, first played in 1923. Wightman served five years as a team member and 13 years as captain. Following her time as a team member and captain, the competition continued until 1989. The Wightman Cup was the direct inspiration for the Billie Jean King Cup (former Fedex Cup & Federation Cup) which is still played to this day.  Wightman attended the University of California at Berkeley. As a collegian, Wightman played her first US National Women’s Championship, now known as the US Open Championships, in 1909, where she won the singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles. Wightman would return to the tournament in 1910 to defend all three of her titles. Upon graduation from Cal in 1911, Wightman would once more win the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles for the third consecutive year.  Wightman was inducted into the inaugural ITA Women’s Hall of Fame in 1995.  50 Years Since Dick Gould Led Stanford Men’s Tennis to First of Seventeen NCAA Titles (1973)  In 1973, legendary Stanford Men’s Tennis Coach Dick Gould brought home the program’s first NCAA team national championship, defeating the USC Trojans in the finals. Gould would go on to win an astounding 17 total NCAA national championship titles (1973-74, ’77-78, ’80-81, ’83, ’86, ’88-90, ’92, ’95-98 and 2000), the most championships won by an NCAA coach to date. In a remarkable statistic comparable to none, any player who competed under Gould during any four-year period from 1969-2003, won at least one NCAA championship title.  Upon retirement in 2004, Gould racked up an astonishing 776-148 (.840) overall record during his 38 seasons at Stanford. In 2006, Gould was inducted into the ITA Men’s Hall of Fame. 35 Years Since Andy Brandi Led Florida Women’s Tennis to NCAA and ITA Team Indoor Championship Titles (1988)  Under the leadership of Coach Andy Brandi, the Florida Gators captured the 1988 NCAA Championship title, defeating Duke 5-1 in the championship match. The Gators did so in fine fashion, going undefeated (27-0) on the season, a feat they would accomplish twice more when they won the 1992 and 1996 NCAA titles. In addition to three NCAA Championships (1992, ‘96 & ‘98), Brandi’s teams won six ITA National Team Indoor Championships (1988, ‘91, ‘92, ‘96, ‘97, ‘99) and had six undefeated regular seasons (1987, ‘91, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98). Inducted into the ITA Women’s Hall of Fame in 2012, Brandi stepped away from the collegiate game in 2001 after a brilliant 17-year career. Brandi ended his career with a 460-43 record (.915), the all-time highest winning percentage among college coaches who have coached a minimum of five years. 30 Years Since Lisa Raymond Won Her Second Consecutive NCAA Singles Title, Ended the Season No. 1 ITA Nationally Ranked Singles Player (1993)  In back-to-back record breaking seasons, Lisa Raymond led the Florida Women’s Tennis team to its very first NCAA national team championship title in 1992, before netting the NCAA singles titles in 1992 and again in 1993. Throughout the duration of 1993 NCAA singles championship, Raymond lost a total of just 23 games, the fewest games lost by an eventual champion. In the championship match, Raymond defeated North Carolina’s Cinda Gurney 6-3, 6-1 in a swift 49 minutes. By the end of the 1993 season, Raymond was the No. 1 ITA nationally ranked singles player. On tour, Raymond captured a total of 11 career grand slam doubles and mixed doubles titles. Raymond reached a career high world singles ranking of No. 15 and doubles ranking of No. 1. She was a member of the 2004 US Olympic Women’s Tennis Team. In 2012, Raymond was inducted into the ITA Women’s Hall of Fame. 25 Years Since James Blake Won the ITA All-American Singles and Doubles Titles (1998)  Prior to setting his sights on the professional tour, James Blake stormed through his college career at Harvard, capturing the men’s singles and doubles titles at the 1998 ITA All-American Championships. In singles, Blake defeated Notre Dame’s Ryan Sachire 6-3, 7-6 to take the title, while in doubles, he and teammate Kunj Majmudar would win 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 over the Fighting Illini’s Jeff Laski and Gavin Sontag. Blake found additional success with the ITA, being named the 1999 ITA National Player of the Year and winning the 1999 ITA Rolex National Indoor Championships. Following his time at Harvard, Blake went on tour, reaching a career high singles ranking of No. 4 in the world and winning a total of 17 (10 singles, 7 doubles) ATP titles. Blake was inducted into the ITA Men’s Hall of Fame in 2017. 20 Years Since Mary Ellen Grant Gordan Captured the NCAA Division III Singles Championship (2003)  As a member of the Emory University women’s tennis team from 2000-2004, Grant (Gordon) compiled one of the most decorated tennis careers in NCAA history. She captured the NCAA Division III Singles Championship in 2003, and again in 2004. In addition to the NCAA title, Grant (Gordan) was a four-time national doubles champion.  Grant (Gordan) also led the Eagles to four straight University Athletic Association crowns and was the first female, in any sport, in conference history to receive the MVP award every season of her career. She graduated as the Eagles all-time record holder in singles and doubles with a record 115 singles wins. Grant (Gordan) was inducted into the Emory Sports Hall …

Read more “ITA Hall of Fame Anniversary Archives: Reflecting on Milestones Marked In 2023”

The ITA National Fall Championships being the grand finale to the fall collegiate tennis season, features 64 of the nation’s top collegiate singles players (32 men/32 women) and 64 doubles teams (32 men’s/32 women’s).  The event has evolved from indoors, including when it was held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., to an outdoor tournament. Having replaced the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, the move outdoors occurred in 2017 when the Oracle ITA Fall National Championships was staged at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif. and the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, Calif. In 2018, the tournament changed locations to the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Ariz. before settling in at the Barnes Tennis Center in 2021. With the long-standing history of the final fall tournament, Hall of Famers have graced the tournament from the beginning. Today, we feature the 1980 ITA Men’s National Fall Championships, then the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, singles champion Mel Purcell.   Considered one of the greatest players to ever come out of the state of Kentucky, Mel Purcell first attended the University of Memphis, where he won the Metro Conference singles and doubles titles in 1977. Following his time at Memphis, Purcell transferred to the University of Tennessee, where he became an All-American in 1980, captured two SEC titles and won the 1980 ITA Men’s National Fall singles title, defeating Princeton’s Jay Lapidus 7-5, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3. While at Tennessee, Purcell would also capture the NCAA doubles championship title in 1980 with partner Rodney Harmon. During his time with the Vols, Purcell rose to the No. 1 ranking of players under 21 in the world.  Following his time at the collegiate level, Purcell took his talents to the professional tour, climbing into the top 40 in the world and becoming the ATP Rookie of the Year in 1981. With wins over former world number ones such as Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe, Purcell would reach a career high ranking of No. 17 in 1980. Other career highlights would include reaching both the Wimbledon singles quarterfinals and French Open doubles quarterfinals in 1983.  Once retired from the tour, Purcell became the head coach of the Murray State men’s tennis team in 1996. While at the helm of the Racers, Purcell guided the team to back-to-back Ohio Valley Conference championships in 2001 and 2002, securing the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year for both seasons. When the men’s tennis program was discontinued in 2016, Purcell transitioned to the position of Director of Tennis Emeritus.  Purcell was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1999.  About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors.