Aug. 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As the Commodores wrapped up their 2015 season with the program’s first ever women’s tennis SEC Tournament and National Championship titles, many wondered ‘what’s next for this talented squad? After you win such an illustrious title, what’s the next step?’
For two of the most competitive and selfless players on the Vandy squad, Frances Altick and Astra Sharma found their answer in rigorous summer competition and training; hoping to capitalize off their 2015 successs to keep building their game.
Three days after winning a national title, Altick a rising senior, went right back out on the court and began practicing in preparation for her summer of pro circuit tennis.
“I was still really happy (after winning NCAAs) and just wanted to keep playing,” said Altick. “I wasn’t that tired, and I was pretty motivated to get back out there.”
“It was great match play, especially the pro tournaments in the US. I got to see how my game matched up and where I could improve. I just played a ton of matches and I think that was the best thing for me. I got to work on a lot of things and play really good competition.”
The Monroe, La. native made an impressive run in Fort Worth as she won three matches, all in straight sets, to advance to main draw play. Once in the main draw, Altick defeated two ranked opponents who are now in the ITF top-1000, most notably handing recent USC grad and tournament roommate, Giuliana Olmos (No. 586), her second loss of her pro career in a 6-3, 6-4 victory to advance to finals.
“Frances had an incredible summer”, said coach Geoff Macdonald. “She gained so much experience, just getting to the finals in Fort Worth and beating so many good players… I think she went 19-5 on the summer.”
Two months after NCAAs in Waco, Texas, Frances was back in the blistering Texas heat, vying against Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri (No. 813) for her first pro circuit title. Frances put up a fight, showing the resilience she displays every match for the ‘Dores, but fell to the Norwegian 6-3, 6-1.
“I was disappointed to lose, but I’ve never gone that far in a pro tournament. But I wasn’t nervous I just wanted to win. I’m still proud of how far I went.”
Halfway across the world, raising redshirt-sophomore Astra Sharma, was making waves of her own in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt where she walked away from the summer with a 10-2 singles record and the ranking of No. 766 by the ITF.
“Egypt and the culture is just so different,” stated Sharma. “We actually started our matches at 7:30 pm because of Ramadan, so often times I would be second or third on court since there were only four courts and a ton of matches. One time I played till two in the morning. So your body is off and you’re eating meals at weird times. It was such a different experience, but my dad and I had a routine and would relax and unwind on the beach.”
Sharma’s world rankings didn’t come easily, as the Perth, Australia native fought her way to the semifinals in two of the tournaments she played, as well as one doubles match alongside Russia’s Polina Malykh.
“The matches and the different people I faced was all just good experience. I was playing Italians, Russians… people from everywhere; so it was just good seeing different styles. I think awareness is a big thing that I improved on this summer. My mentality on court is a lot different now. I’m not as closed off and I’m thinking constantly about what I need to do next.”
With her Dad by her side the entire time, “Roo” reached the finals of her second tournament with a huge 6-1, 6-0 win over No. 384, 24-year old Russian, Margarita Lazareva and turned her attention to taking the tourney.
“I felt I was playing really good tennis, and seeing the ball really well. All of the players after the first couple of rounds were really quality players. I knew I had to be on top of my game every match, and I just knew I had so much experience from the last few months that coming into the finals I wasn’t feeling too much pressure. I knew how to handle it, and that was a big thing. I felt more experienced than some of my opponents.”
In finals competition, the SEC and NCAA tournament MVP, handed the hometown hero, Cairo’s own Abou Zekry 6-3, 2-6, 6-0 loss, which generated Sharma her first ITF Pro Circuit title.
“What an impressive accomplishment to earn a world ranking in such a competitive environment,” said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “Not only do you have to play through qualifying, which everyone in the world is trying to get a ranking, you then have to win main draw matches against people who already have a world ranking. So it’s a competitive gauntlet to get through.”
While both tennis stars are currently taking a break from the court, they’re both eager to put their summer experiences to the test as a new year approaches for the black and gold.
