Liberty’s Wilson and Worst Earn No. 74 Doubles National Ranking

ITA Rankings

The Liberty men’s tennis doubles team of seniors Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst have earned a national ranking, checking in as the No. 74-ranked pair in the country in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings.

This is the second time in Wilson’s career he has earned a doubles ranking. In the fall of 2018, Wilson received a No. 53 ranking during his freshman campaign alongside Eddie Gutierrez (Nov. 14, 2018). Worst is nationally ranked in doubles for the first time in his career.

Wilson and Worst are the first Liberty doubles team to be ranked in just over four years. Nicaise Muamba and Chase Burton were the last ranked duo for the Flames, as they were the No. 61-ranked team in the country on March 5, 2019.

Wilson and Worst lead the Flames this spring with six doubles wins, all in the No. 1 slot, against four losses. The duo is 16-8 overall on the year including fall play. During the spring season, the pairing has victories over doubles units from No. 46 Penn State, No. 64 South Florida, No. 70 Charlotte, Clemson, Washington and Queens. Wilson and Worst have won their last three matches in the No. 1 slot over counterparts from Penn State, USF and Charlotte.

During the fall, Wilson and Worst made an unprecedented run at the ITA All-American Championships. The duo finished the week with a 5-1 record, earned two ranked wins, advanced to quarterfinals of the main draw and became the first pairing in school history to compete in the main draw.

Of Wilson and Worst’s 25 doubles opponents this year (24 finished matches for a 16-8 record, one unfinished match), seven are currently ranked, including the No. 1 doubles team in the nation in South Carolina’s Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson. Wilson and Worst faced Samuel and Thomson in the quarterfinals of the main draw at the ITA All-American Championships, falling 6-3, 6-4. The Flames duo is 3-4 in seven matches against doubles units who are currently ranked.

Wilson and Worst (16-8) are seven wins away from tying the program record for most team doubles wins in a season. That record is currently held by Egon Samaai and Shea Thomas, who won 23 matches together during the 2012-13 campaign.

Wilson, Worst and No. 69 Liberty (5-6, 1-0 ASUN) are back in action this weekend at the Arizona State Tournament. The event includes No. 69 Liberty, No. 24 Memphis, No. 31 Arizona State No. 50 Texas Tech, No. 55 Oregon, No. 61 Drake, No. 67 Michigan State and Boise State.

Main Photo at Top of Story: Christiaan Worst (left) and Josh Wilson (right)