Elite of College Tennis: The Aussies

This week we are highlighting the top 10 Australian men and women playing college tennis, as rated by the UTR system. The men’s top 10 is comprised of six seniors, two juniors, and two freshmen. The women’s top 10 is comprised of five seniors and five juniors. I did a profile on three men and three women and listed their accomplishments to show you why each belongs in the UTR top 10. MEN 1. Aleksandar Vukic (University of Illinois) The junior from Sydney started off his collegiate career playing at No. 5 in the singles lineup but for the last two years he’s been a mainstay at the top. Last season Vukic was named an ITA All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten, plus he was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week on three separate occasions. Vukic went 70-10 in singles during his first two seasons and so far this year he is 16-2. Vukic, who is ranked No. 6 in the latest ITA singles rankings, is currently riding a 13-match winning streak with 8 of those wins coming over ranked opponents. 5. Colin Sinclair (Cornell University) The senior from Brisbane has been a solid contributor in the Big Red lineup for the past three seasons. Last season, Sinclair went 17-8 in singles while playing primarily at No. 2 in the singles lineup. This past fall Sinclair went 12-4 with a finals appearance at Ivy Plus Invitational plus he made the quarterfinals at the ITA Northeast Regional Championship. Sinclair began the current dual-match season by winning his first 13 matches, with 11 finishing in straight sets, which played a major role in Cornell achieving a school-record ITA team ranking of No. 18. 7. Scott Webster (Appalachian State University) The junior from Perth is anchoring the Mountaineers lineup for the second straight year after posting a 21-5 record last season including 13-4 in dual-match play. This past fall Webster made it to the round of 16 at the ITA Carolina Regional Championship and then he won three of four matches at the 49ers Fall Invitational. Webster is currently 12-4 this season while playing all matches at No. 1. WOMEN 1. Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt University) The redshirt junior from Perth was the third highest rated Aussie last season but she’s moved up to the top spot this season. Sharma was named the 2016 Ohio Valley Player to Watch after going 26-10 in singles while playing primarily at No. 3 in the singles lineup. This past fall Sharma went 11-3 in singles, with all 14 matches coming against ranked opponents, while making it to the semifinals at both the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. Sharma has played all but two matches this season at the No. 1 spot in the singles lineup while compiling a record of 14-3. Sharma is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest ITA singles rankings. 5. Andie Dikosavljevic (Auburn University) The junior from Sunshine Coast was named All-SEC First Team last season after winning 25 matches with 13 coming against ranked opponents. This past fall Dikosavljevic advanced to the finals of the ITA Southern Regional Championship and then she was also able to compete in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. Dikosavljevic has already won 12 matches this spring, three over ranked opponents, while playing primarily at No. 2 in the singles lineup. Dikosavljevic is currently ranked No. 36 in the latest ITA singles rankings. 6. Nicole Hoynaski (Hawai’i Pacific University) The senior from Sydney was named an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles last season after leading her team to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II National Championships. This past fall Hoynaski won the Aloha Cup which earned her a qualifying wild card into the $125K WTA Hawaii Open. Hoynaski is undefeated this season with a 14-0 record while only dropping two sets. Hoynaski is currently ranked No. 3 in the latest ITA Division II singles rankings. Both the men’s and women’s top 10 are heavy on upperclassmen so when these rankings come out next season they are going to look quite different - the question is who is ready to make a move? About UTR The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) system provides tennis players worldwide a common scale to determine their level of play. The 16-level scale (from beginners to elite world-class professionals), precisely and reliably determines individual players’ ratings based on actual match results without regard for age, gender or where the matches are played. The Universal Tennis website allows visitors to view more than three million tennis results. College tennis coaches utilize UTR ratings for recruiting, for scouting opponents, and also to track the levels of their current players. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association(ITA) currently uses UTR ratings to assist with selections and seedings for select regional and national events. A UTR subscription is required to search and view player ratings on the UTR system, with pricing starting at forever free for UTR Basic. The UTR Premium Plus allows subscribers access to search and view college team profiles.

1. Aleksandar Vukic Jr University of Illinois
2. Andrew Harris Sr University of Oklahoma
3. Nick Horton Sr North Carolina State University
4. Jack Jaede So University of Southern California
5. Colin Sinclair Sr Cornell University
6. Scott Jones Fr University of Tennessee
7. Scott Webster Jr Appalachian State University
8. Jai Corbett Sr Virginia Tech
9. Jack Swindells Sr Utah State University
10. Brian Tran Fr Boise State University

1. Astra Sharma Jr Vanderbilt University
2. Ellen Perez Jr University of Georgia
3. Belinda Woolcock Sr University of Florida
4. Samantha Harris Jr Duke University
5. Andie Dikosavljevic Jr Auburn University
6. Nicole Hoynaski Sr Hawaii Pacific University
7. Gussie O'Sullivan Sr Arizona State University
8. Danielle Wagland Jr University of Texas
9. Stephanie Yamada So UC Santa Barbara
10. Stefani Stojic Sr UC Santa Barbara

Feature photo: Astra Sharma of Vanderbilt