ECU Men's Tennis Signs Three International Student-Athletes
November 21, 2014 | Men's Tennis
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- William Bissett and James Ling of England along with Ronny Georgi of Germany have each signed a National Letter of Intent to attend East Carolina University as a member of the men's tennis team beginning with the 2015 fall semester announced head coach Shawn Heinchon Friday.
"I am very excited about this recruiting class," Heinchon said. "All three of these players have great potential, a strong work-ethic, and their international experience will help this team tremendously. We expect all three to come in and have a positive impact on our team right away."
A resident of Devizes, England, Bissett is currently ranked among the Top 300 players Great Britain and was previously ranked among the top-5 in his age division. Among his many accomplishments, Bissett lists winning the 2011 HSBC Road to Wimbledon title along with being ranked No. 3 in his age group as a 15-year old.
"William is a very smart player that really know how to compete on the court," Heinchon stated. "He knows how to find a way to win matches and his competitive spirit will be contagious for the rest of his teammates."
"I chose East Carolina because I knew I would be joining a very good coaching team," Bissett explained. "The schedule is very strong which means I will be playing a lot of highly competitive matches."
Georgi, an 18-year old player from Fredersdorf near Berlin, is currently ranked No. 19 in his age division and 237 overall in the German men's national rankings. He won the city of Berlin Championship multiple times, while competing in the third-highest league in Germany.
"Ronny is a very strong baseline player who can use his forehand as his main weapon," assistant coach Christian Kuehne said. "He is really excited about this program and his abilities paired with his experience in competing against many international and professional players will really help him to make an immediate impact on this team."
"I am very happy about my decision and I look forward to being a Pirate," Georgi said. "I chose East Carolina because I really like the coaching staff and the players on the team. When the university gave me the opportunity to visit the campus I felt very comfortable about my decision. I think we will be able to achieve greatness here at ECU".
Ling currently holds the No. 8 position in the 18 and under rankings and is No. 118 in the men's national rankings. He has reached three consecutive semifinals in U18 national tournaments while also capturing the U-18 Scottish National Open Doubles Championship, as well as a spot in the doubles semifinals in the Under-18 UK (United Kingdom) National Championships.
"Right from the start we liked his size, power, and the fact that he is a strong doubles player," Heinchon said. "James is still very young, but his game has great potential, and I believe that with his abilities and work-ethic he will continue to improve and become a very strong player for us."
"I really wanted to become part of ECU because of its amazing facilities and reputation for sports," said Ling, "The entire community seems to embrace athletics and has a lot pride in the Pirates. I am really excited about joining ECU and believe that I will be on a team that works hard to achieve goals individually and collectively."
The Pirates, who finished the 2013-14 season with their first-ever final national ranking, will open the 2015 spring season on Jan. 16 in Chapel Hill against North Carolina, which reached the NCAA Championship quarterfinals a year ago.
