Astra Sharma Season 2017-18

Class Redshirt Senior

Hometown Perth, Australia

High School Applecross Senior HS

Bio

Awards/Honors:

2017 SEC Player of the Year
2017 All-American (singles/doubles)
National Indoors Semifinalost
Riviera/ITA Championship Semifinalist
No. 1 overall seed at NCAA Doubles Tourament
2016 Ohio Valley Player to Watch
2016 Spring SEC Honor Roll
2016 Second Team All-SEC
2015 All-American (Doubles)
2015 NCAA Tournament MVP
2015 SEC Tournament MVP
First Team All-SEC
SEC All Freshman Team
2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Career:
Career Singles Record: 94-28

Highest Singles Ranking: No. 2 (Jan. 4/ May 24, 2017)

Highest Double Ranking: No. 1 W/ Emily Smith (May 24, 2017)

2016-17 (Redshirt Junior): Named the 2017 SEC Player of the Year… Earned singles and doubles All-American honors, Sharma is the first Commodore since Sarah Riske in 2003 to claim both prestigious awards in one season… The Perth, Australia native was a semifinalist in both of the ITA’s national championships, the Riviera ITA Championships and National Indoors… Finished the season tying a career-high ranking of No. 2 in the final ITA rankings and was 32-8 overall — including 24-6 versus ranked opponents — and boasts a 93-27-career record… Earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA doubles tournament, the first Vandy pairing to achieve the feat… Smith/Sharma earned a career-high ranking of No. 1 in the nation… Tandem boasted a 7-2 SEC record at the number one doubles position.

2015-16 (Redshirt Sophomore): USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Region Player to Watch… Selected to NCAA Singles tournament… Established a 26-10 overall singles record… Played primarily at the No. 3 spot of the singles lineup and at No. 2 doubles with Frances Altick… Ranked a season-high No. 28 in doubles with Frances Altick… Went undefeated in both 2015 and 2016 NCAA tournament runs… Clinched against Virginia in the regular season at ITA Indoor and VU’s NCAA Sweet 16 sweep over Auburn in straight sets on court three… Went 17-6 in singles, going on two five-match win streaks… Picked up nine SEC regular season wins… Ohio Valley Regional singles Semifinalist… Went undefeated at the June Stewart Tournament.

2014-15 (Redshirt Freshman): Earning a redshirt for 2014-15 campaign, Sharma returned to Nashville to compile a 36-9 overall singles record … Played predominately at the No. 2 spot of the VU lineup, gathering a 25-3 (11-2) overall dual record … Entered ITA singles rankings at No. 98 in the nation on Feb. 24 … Went 16-1 against ranked opponents … went undefeated against Florida’s Josie Kuhlman clinching the Vanderbilt win with all three wins against the Gator … clinched a total of eight matches for the Black and Gold … Played doubles alongside Ashleigh Antal … Duo amassed a 18-3 (9-2) dual record … pair earned All-American status in NCAA Doubles Tournament … went on a 18-match win streak at No. 2 doubles from Feb. 15 — May 19… advanced to NCAA quarterfinals, falling to Cal’s #5 Zsofi Susanyi and Klara Fabikova; 6-2, 6-2.

2013-14 (Freshman): 2014 SEC Academic Honor Roll … Defeated Juliana Gajic (Texas) 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 and Miami’s Victoria Zukowski (6-7, 2-6) during the Miami Spring Invite Tournament … Teammed with Georgina Sellyn to defeat then No. 14 Baylor University’s doubles duo of Ema Burgic and Alex Clay in the third spot in the lineup in dual match play … Went 2-0 in singes throughout the fall…Did not play in singles in a dual match.

Personal: Astra Sharma … Born September 11, 1995… Daughter of Dev and Susan… Sister of Ashwin and Tara… Nickname, “Roo”… Majoring in Medicine, Health and Society… Started playing tennis at the age of five… Favorite tennis player is Justine Henin… Lists Thierry Henry as her favorite non-tennis athlete… Chose Vanderbilt for the ability to “go to an amazing school, and play top-level tennis”.