Troy Men's Tennis Announces Signing Class

TROY, Alabama – The reigning Sun Belt champion Troy men's tennis program and head coach Scott Kidd announced the signing of a seven student-athletes on Wednesday.

"I am very excited about the direction of the program," Kidd said. "This year's success built a solid foundation for the future of Troy men's tennis. We are returning all players from last season with the exception of Gabriel Dias, who completed his eligibility.

"We are adding seven talented players who will not only contribute to next year's team, but help take the program to the next level. We have a tougher fall and spring schedule, which will allow us to get an opportunity for a higher ranking. Having this much talent will only allow each player to improve and reach his goals. This recruiting class will add depth, leadership and experience to an already seasoned team. The sky will be their limit next year with so much talent and depth."

The Trojans' seven signees include two four-year university transfers (Francisco Yim Kim, Valdosta State - Stjepan Cagalj, Louisville), four incoming international student-athletes (Tomas Fernandez, Argentina - Vaclav Slezak, Czech Republic - Sam Bird, England - Marcel Du Sart, Australia) and one incoming freshman from the United States (Jeremy Braud, Baton Rouge, La.).

Francisco Yim Kim (Asuncion, Paraguay – Valdosta State)
Yim Kim is a transfer from Valdosta State, the ninth ranked NCAA Division II team, where he played 1-3 singles positions during his freshman and sophomore seasons. He helped lead the Blazers to two consecutive Gulf South Conference finals and two NCAA Division II Regional tournaments. In Paraguay, Yim Kim was ranked No. 1 in juniors in for all age divisions. At the age of 14 he was ranked No. 1 in the South American COSAT rankings

Stjepan Cagalj (Split, Croatia – Louisville)
Cagalj is a transfer from the Louisville. He has had much experience on the ITF Future Circuit where he qualified for a two main draws in singles. His biggest success came in doubles on the ITF Futures Circuit. He came through the qualifying rounds and advanced to the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals in several tournaments. Cagalj was a top 10 junior from
Split, Croatia.

Tomas Fernandez (Tandil, Argentina)
Fernandez was a top junior from Argentina and participated in the ITF COSAT Circuit as a junior, having great success. He trained in Spain where he saw his tennis improve. His recent results showed in his performance in the ITF Futures in South America where he qualified in two singles events, going through the qualification bracket. He also advanced to the quarterfinals and semifinals in two doubles ITF Futures events.

Vaclav Slezak (Zdice, Czech Republic)
Slezak was a top five junior in Czech Republic in the 18 & under division. He competed in ITF Junior and ETA events throughout his junior career. Slezak was selected as one of the top and upcoming juniors, giving him the opportunity to train at the National Federation Center in Prague.

Sam Bird (Hook, England)
Bird was ranked as high as a No. 2 in juniors in the 18 & under division in the United Kingdom. He received a 2.1 LTA rating at the age of 17.

Marcel Du Sart (Melbourne, Australia)
Du Sart was a top 10 ranked junior in his state rankings and a top 50 junior in the Australian national rankings.

Jeremy Braud (Baton Rouge, La. – St. Michael HS)
Braud was ranked No. 3 in the state of Louisiana and top 75 in the USTA Southern Regiona Rankings. Braud was a regional finalists in all four of his seasons and just helped St. Michael to the LHSAA Division II State Championship. He was also a state finalist in singles.

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