JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State head tennis coach Andres Amores announced the addition of five newcomers to the men's tennis team and a transfer to the women's tennis team Friday afternoon.
 
Thomas Norwood, Dmitrii Vasilev, Andrea Moro, Anton Hjertquist and Agustin Suarez join the men's roster for the upcoming season, while Sara Jamal is the lone addition to the women's roster.
 
"We are excited about our additions for the upcoming season," Amores said. "All six newcomers play at a high level and will be integral pieces to their teams this year."
 
Norwood comes to Jacksonville State as a sophomore transfer from Harford Community College in Bel Air, Md. The London, England native ranked as high as 35th prior to his signing with the Fighting Owls. While at Harford, Norwood played No. 1 and was ranked sixth nationally in singles at the JUCO level. The double-threat also ranked seventh in JUCO doubles last season.
 
"We look forward to having Thomas join our men's tennis team this semester," Amores said. "Thomas brings a lot of college tennis experience as he played in the highest position for his team last year."
 
Dmitrii Vasilev is a freshman from Yaroslavl, Russia where he ranked in the top five nationally and was the top player from his hometown. He won the doubles portion of the 2015 Russian Championships before winning both singles and doubles of the Championship South Region of Russia. He finished second in doubles at the 2016 Samara Cup, recording an ITF grade of four, and reached the top-16 of 64 in singles at the 2017 Ozerov Cup, garnering an ITF grade of two.
 
"Dmitrii comes from a tennis family," Amores said. "His sister played college tennis in the U.S. He has always been ranked in the top 10 players of Russia, including a career-high ranking of five. His fast-paced game will make him a strong player in the OVC."
 
Andrea Moro is a freshman from Sassari, Italy where he received a career-best 2.5 ranking in his home country. He is a two-time U16 regional singles champion, winning the crowns at the Regional Singles Championships in both Sardinia and Puglia.
 
"Andrea has been very active during his last year playing and competing at the highest level," Amores said. "He understands the game and will be a very valuable player for our program. He will bring a lot of experience from competing in Europe"
 
Anton Hjertquist comes to Jacksonville from Sweden where he was ranked one of the top players under 21 in his country. He won the German Berzirksliga in 2018 and the U18 Pershagen Open in 2017. At the end of his prep career, Hjertquist was ranked 13th for Stockholm in the Swedish Regional Rankings.
 
"Anton is a great addition to our men's tennis team," Amores said. "His results during his past two years will give our team a lot of depth, which will push us to a higher level in both practice and competition."
 
Agustin Suarez is a freshman from Quito, Ecuador where he was ranked the No. 1 player under 16 and 18. He represented Ecuador in the South American Tournament and received a career-best ranking of six by Cosat at the U16 level. He won both the singles and doubles ITF Championship titles in 2019 and was runner up in singles and doubles at COSAT in Venezuela in 2017.
 
"His big lefty game is something we look forward to working with," Amores said. "He is another freshman who is used to competing at a very high level who will bring a lot of experience to our team."
 
Sara Jamal transfers to Jacksonville State from State College of Florida in Bradenton, Fla. The incoming junior spent her freshman season at SMU before returning to her hometown to compete for the Manatees. While at SCF, Jamal played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles and helped her team to a No. 5 ranking at the 2019 NJCAA Division I National Championship. Individually, Jamal was the No. 17 singles player in the NJCAA with a No. 5 ranking in doubles.
 
"Sara's experience playing and training at a college level will be a great addition to our women's tennis program," Amores said. "Her experience in the ITF rankings will also help our team to reach a higher level."
 
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