ORLANDO, Florida – The sky’s the limit for Murphy Cassone. The Overland Park, Kansas, native earned a spot on the USTA Collegiate Summer Team, the USTA announced today. Cassone, the ITA Rookie of the Year, is one of five men in the summer team training program “designed to help America’s premier college players assimilate to professional tennis in a team-oriented environment via USTA Player & Coach Development.” Cassone is one of two men from the Pac-12 on the team.
Full USTA Team Announcement
Cassone Named ITA Rookie of the Year
Being announced to the team is just one of a number of remarkable summer achievements for Cassone. The young stud has played in three ITF tournaments and is in the midst of a fourth. At the end of May he played in the Little Rock Challenger 100 where he went on 4-0 tear, defeating two top-300 in a run that saw him win in the qualifying draw first and second rounds, then the main draw first and second rounds before being eliminated. At the M25 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Cassone defeated 2021 NCAA Singles Champion Sam Riffice (Florida) 6-3, 6-4 – another trophy win.
“It’s a huge honor for Murphy,” head coach Matt Hill said. “They only take five Americans in all of college tennis so to be one of the five and only a freshman speaks volumes to what he’s done this spring season. He had a great week in Little Rock and then followed that up by beating last year’s singles champion. It’s fun to see him progressing so well.”
Shark just ate ??
Murphy Cassone took down ’21 NCAA Singles Champion Sam Riffice in straight sets today at the Tulsa M25 ?? pic.twitter.com/lHmdaCwIFB
— Sun Devil M. Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) June 22, 2022
2022 USTA Collegiate Summer Team
Men:
- Murphy Cassone (Freshman, Arizona State; Overland Park, Kansas)
- Stefan Dostanic (Junior, USC; Irvine, California)
- Cannon Kingsley (Junior, Ohio State; Northport, New York)
- Sam Riffice (Senior, Florida; Orlando, Florida)
- Ben Shelton (Sophomore, Florida; Gainesville, Florida)
- Coaches: Rich Bonfiglio (USC), Mario Rincon (Louisville)
Women:
- Eryn Cayetano (Junior, USC; Long Beach, California)
- Sarah Hamner (Freshman, South Carolina; Boca Raton, Florida)
- Connie Ma (Freshman, Stanford; Dublin, California)
- Emma Navarro (Sophomore, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina)
- Peyton Stearns (Sophomore, Texas; Mason, Ohio)
- Coaches:…
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