Red Raider Tennis Adds Sendegeya For Spring
November 10, 2014 | Men's Tennis
November 10, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech has added a highly-touted second newcomer for the spring semester, as Great Britain's Alex Sendegeya has signed a financial aid agreement to join the Red Raiders in January.
Sendegeya will join Victor Cornea as the two newest members of the Red Raiders men's tennis team in January.
"Alex has the ability to make an immediate impact on our lineup this spring," said head coach Tim Siegel. "Alex and Victor will join us in January and are expected to make an immediate in our spring lineup. We are excited to get them on campus"
Sendegeya, a native of Liverpool, England, comes to Texas Tech after earning the No. 1 juniors rating from Great Britain's Lawn Tennis Association. He has also been ranked as high as the No. 74 junior in the world. He is the highest-ranked incoming freshmen since Raony Carvalho came to Texas Tech from Brazil as the No. 10 junior in the world and the No. 1 player in Brazil.
"Alex is a very accomplished tennis player who has had a very successful junior career," said Red Raider assistant coach James Wilson. "Because of his experience and achievements, coach Siegel and I are confident that he will be able to contribute to our program immediately - both in singles and doubles."
Sendegeya, a 5-10 right hander, has spent more than five years in Bradenton, Fla., at the IMG Academy in the Bollettieri Tennis program. IMG's alumni include Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Maria Sharapova, Venus and Serena Williams and Monica Seles. He is a 2014 graduate of Keystone National High School, while working out at the IMG Academy
"I liked the whole set up with the training and fitness program," said Sendegeya. "I really thought the team had a great attitude and they truly seem like a good bunch of guys who are ambitious of success. Overall, I also liked the academic set up and the campus as a whole."
He has won nine ITF Juniors doubles titles, including two in the last 12 months. Sendegeya was named the player to watch by the London Times and has participated in the Wimbledon Juniors, U.S. Open Juniors and the Canadian Open Juniors.
On the court, Sendegeya has worked with renowned coaches Jose Lambert of the IMG Academy and private coach Martin Damm. Lambert's career parallels Siegel's, as both are New Orleans natives who were nationally-ranked juniors that would later attend Arkansas, before a stint on the ATP Tour and settling into coaching. Damn is a former world Top 50 singles player and a Top 5 doubles player, who retired in 2011 from the ATP Tour.
Sendegeya selected the Red Raiders over interest from San Diego, Boise, Wisconsin and Notre Dame.
He joins Cornea as the second mid-season addition. Cornea, who was ranked as high as the No. 126 junior in the world, and is transferring from Middle Tennessee State. Cornea was the No. 1 junior player in Romania and a two-time all-conference honoree at Middle Tennessee.
The Red Raiders open the spring season in Tucson, Ariz., at the Arizona Kickoff Challenge beginning Jan. 16. Texas Tech is scheduled to play six matches in three days with Arizona, New Mexico and UC-Irvine.
Players Mentioned
