Three Illini Crack Top 40 in Singles
Illinois duo of Franklin/Freelove ranked 16th in the country - 9/15/98

With the fall season only a few weeks away, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) has posted its pre-season rankings for singles and doubles and the University of Illinois men's tennis team has proven a major presence. For the first time in school history, three Illini netters are ranked among the top 40 singles players while one duo stands at No. 16.

Senior Gavin Sontag (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora), Illinois' first-ever All-American, received the highest ranking of his career and leads the team at No. 31. Fellow-senior Oliver Freelove (Bromley, England/Seven Oaks) opens the season ranked 37th in the country while junior Cary Franklin (Atlanta, Ga./St. Pius X) is rated 38th. In doubles, the duo of Franklin and Freelove was ranked 16th in the country.

"We're one of the few teams in the country that has such a large group of players ranked that highly," said Illinois Head Coach Craig Tiley. "It's an indication of the team's returning strength. We're excited about the rankings but we realize it's just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do and many things to accomplish before the end of the season."

Illinois is one of only two teams, including South Carolina, to have three players ranked in the top 40 in singles. Only two other players in the Big Ten conference are ranked in the singles top 40 and in doubles, Illinois is the only conference school to have a duo rated in the top 25.

Four Illini, including Freelove and Franklin, will be competing this weekend in the USTA Challenger Qualifying round at the Atkins Tennis Center. The fall season begins with the ITA Claycourts in Baltimore, Md. from Sept. 24-27.