Fernandez's Jump Up the Lineup Didn't Effect His Winning Ways

When Hayden Schilling penciled Anthony Fernandez into the lineup, no matter what the position, it was almost a guaranteed point for The College of Wooster men’s tennis team from 1989-1992, as the native of Massachusetts who grew up in Naples, Fla., tied a school record with 81 singles wins and added about 50 more victories in doubles.

Fernandez credits a great deal of his individual success early on to being part of some talented teams. As a freshman, he earned a starting spot at No. 6 singles for a squad that would end up in a three-way tie for the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and with a national ranking of No. 20. The baseliner played an integral role in Wooster’s share of the NCAC title, as he won the sixth singles flight, and thus, earned first-team all-conference honors while finishing with a 20-7 record.

The next season, the Fighting Scots equaled a team record for victories in a season (21-6), capped by their first outright NCAC championship, with Fernandez serving as a steady force again. He primarily was at No. 5, compiling a near-perfect 24-3 singles record, as well as going 14-5 with three doubles partners.

Fernandez’s career became remarkable, though, by virtue of what happened between his sophomore and junior years. With a 44-10 record and another well-stocked Wooster roster, he could have been content in continuing to dominate the lower-tier of the lineup, but instead, he pushed himself and made the rare successful move from No. 5 to No. 1 singles, which Schilling says is “the biggest jump any player I’ve coached here (28 years) ever had to make in a single year.”

Successful may not be a strong enough adjective, as Fernandez was victorious just as consistently at the top of the lineup. Starting every match at No. 1, he won 18 matches (18-8), including hard-fought, three-set decisions over the best rivals Denison University and Kenyon College had to offer during the NCAC Tournament. Fernandez was voted NCAC Player of the Year, in addition to first-team all-NCAC as a doubles team with Warren Cham-A-Koon, and he received an invitation to the NCAA Div. III Tournament, taking a set off his opponent before succumbing in the first round.

“Anthony has come a long way,” Schilling commented during that 1991 season. “Moving up to No. 1 from any position requires quite an adjustment, but to move from five to one is extremely difficult. Every time, you take the court, you know that you will always be playing the other team’s top player, and that player usually doesn’t have many weaknesses.”

Fernandez, who was a standout due to his consistent, solid groundstrokes and excellent anticipation, closed out his career with his best year yet. He posted a 19-5 mark at No. 1 singles, repeating as the NCAC Player of the Year and as a participant in the NCAA Div. III Tournament. This time, he played singles, losing to the No . 14 seed, and doubles with partner Dan Rosenbaum. Fernandez and the Scots ended up with national rankings, with Fernandez at No. 32 in singles and No. 24 in doubles (w/Rosenbaum), and Wooster at No. 22.

For his career, Fernandez wound up with an 81-23 singles record as well as a 49-19 ledger in doubles. The 81 victories matches Bob Savitt’s mark from 1982-1985 (81-22)

After graduating from Wooster with a bachelor’s degree in history, Fernandez completed a master’s degree in public administration from American University and was selected for a highly-competitive City of Phoenix Management Intern Program. He returned to his hometown and now is an internal audit manager for the   Collier County Clerk of Courts.

Personally, he is married to 1991 Wooster alum Kerry Perkins and they are the parents of two sons, Pierce (4) and Ryan (2). Fernandez still plays tennis, in addition to biking, kayaking, playing guitar, traveling, and hanging out with his family at the beach, during his free time.