SAN FRANCISCO – Two men from the San Francisco men's tennis team have earned individual recognition as some of the top players in the West Coast Conference as members of the All-WCC teams, as voted on by the league's head coaches and announced by the conference offices today.

In his first season on the Hilltop, freshman Mert Zincirli has been selected to the All-WCC Second Team Singles squad after compiling an 11-8 dual match record from the top three spots in the lineup.

Hailing from Adana, Turkey, Zincirli registered a notable victorious effort against his non-conference opponent from the then-ranked No. 9 USF Trojans on Feb. 9 as part of a four-match winning streak. In league action, he knocked off players from BYU, Pacific, Gonzaga and Santa Clara, helping the Dons to a No. 5 seed in this week's WCC Championship field.

"Mert has shown that he has improved throughout the year with us and gained a lot of confidence moving up the lineup in singles and doubles," noted USF head coach Pablo Pires de Almeida. "He has proven to the conference he can become a top player."

Johan Joenhagen, a junior from Stockholm, Sweden, makes an appearance as an honorable mention selection for the Dons. A transfer student from Utah, Joenhagen has thrived in his first year wearing Green and Gold, playing at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions in the lineup.

Joenhagen has compiled an overall record of 10-10 in dual match play, going 5-3 against WCC foes. He earned conference wins over league players from BYU, Pacific, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and Pepperdine, helping USF to its first ever win over the Waves. Joenhagen twice saw winning streaks of four matches in a row, showing is consistent presence throughout the spring.

"Johan has been our most competitive player all year with his tenaciousness on the court," said Pires de Almeida. "He has shown that he can play at the highest level, and this will give him confidence to go into his senior year and be a top player in our conference."

This marks the sixth straight season that at least one Don has been selected for singles honors.

Zincirli, Joenhagen and the Dons will open up play in the first round of the WCC Championships tomorrow as the squad takes on San Diego at 1 p.m. in the #4/#5 matchup from Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, Calif.


2017 WCC  Men's Tennis Postseason Award Winners
Player of the Year:  Michail Pervolarakis, Portland
Freshman of the Year:  Damon Kesaris, Saint Mary's
Coach of the Year: Aaron Gross, Portland
 
All-WCC First Team Singles
Miguel Diaz, Pacific
Guilherme Hadlich, Pepperdine
Damon Kesaris, Saint Mary's
Michail Pervolarakis, Portland
Jacob Sullivan, BYU
Filip Vittek, San Diego
 
All-WCC Second Team Singles
Gabriel Diaz-Freire, Loyola Marymount
Mathieu Garcia, Portland
Andrew Gu, Santa Clara
Pedro Iamachkine, Pepperdine
Robert Seby, Santa Clara
Mert Zincirli, San Francisco
 
Singles Honorable Mention: Nick Borchenko, Loyola Marymount; Tadiwa Chinamo, Pacific; Carlos Donat, Portland; Alex Giannini, Pacific; Johan Joenhagen, San Francisco; Stefan Menichella, Pepperdine; Guilherme Osorio, San Diego
 
All-WCC First Team Doubles
Nick Borchenko and Gabriel Diaz-Freire, Loyola Marymount
Michail Pervolarakis and Mathieu Garcia, Portland
Filip Vittek and Josh Page, San Diego
 
All-WCC Second Team Doubles
Aidan Carrazedo and Jacob Sullivan, BYU
Jack Van Slyke and Stefan Menichella, Pepperdine
Guilherme Hadlich and Gabriel Sidney, Pepperdine
 
Doubles Honorable Mention: Alex Giannini and Miguel Diaz, Pacific; Akram El Sallaly and Tadiwa Chinamo, Pacific; Damon Kesaris and Nash Vollenweider, Saint Mary's; Connor Garnett and Vasileios Iliopoulos, Santa Clara;  Robert Seby and Jesus Tapiador Barajas, Santa Clara