Fordham Finance Major Studies Roger Federer After UBS Internship (Bloomberg.com)
Sept. 6, 2012
Bronx, N.Y. - Not many college tennis players get to rub elbows with professional players such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick. But Fordham University junior men's tennis student-athlete Kuba Kowalski did, spending the past two weeks at the US Open in Flushing Meadows where he was a guest of Agnieszka Radwanska, a friend and occasional hitting partner.
Kowalski finished the 2011-12 season ranked 19th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Rankings, becoming the first Fordham men's tennis player to finish the season ranked in the regional Top 20 in school history.
"I am very happy for Kuba to finish the season ranked and get the recognition he deserved for a tremendous year," said Fordham head coach Cory Hubbard. "This was a goal we set at the beginning of the season, so it's always a great feeling to see hard work get rewarded. Kuba was actually just a few points away from being ranked in the top five, as he had a win over number seven Venkat Iver from Cornell, had two match points against number four Jonathan Pearlman from Harvard, and was two points away from beating number six Haig Schneiderman of Columbia. If he converts those couple of points, he finishes in the top five."
Earlier in the spring, Kowalski was named First Team All-Atlantic 10, becoming one of the first Fordham men's tennis players to earn All-Conference honors since Chris Kelly in 2002. A transfer from San Diego State, Kowalski played at the number one singles position for the Rams all year, compiling a 21-9 record. He was also the leader in doubles wins for the Rams this year, going 19-11, 17-8 at first doubles.
Kowalski led Fordham to one of its best seasons in years, finishing the year with a 17-10 record, the most wins for a Fordham men's tennis team since the 1995-96 squad went 18-3. The Rams also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2012 Atlantic 10 Championship with a win over Saint Louis in the first round, Fordham's first win at the championships since 2006. The quarterfinal appearance was the first for the Fordham men's team since joining the conference in 1995-96.
