ITHACA, N.Y. — Silviu Tanasoiu, the Director of Intercollegiate Tennis and Savitt-Weiss Head Coach of Men's Tennis, announced Thursday that the team will welcome six newcomers for the 2016-17 season. Daniel Grunberger, Al Hill, Lev Kazakov, Joseph McAllister, Pietro Rimondini and Rohan Sikka will join a Big Red squad which lost just one senior from last year's team and returns a group including Ivy League and ITA Northeast Region Rookie of the Year David Volfson and All-Ivy League singles and doubles selection Colin Sinclair.
 
The Big Red is looking to build on a season in which it won its final four matches and went 5-2 in the Ivy League, narrowly missing out on the program's first NCAA tournament at-large berth for a third straight year. Cornell returns the bulk of its roster from that resurgent team, plus the following additions.
 
Newcomers' Biographies
Daniel Grunberger
5-foot-11 – Great Neck, N.Y. (Great Neck South HS [Columbia])
Grunberger joins the Big Red as a junior after two years competing with Columbia, where he posted a 17-6 record in singles and 3-1 record in doubles during fall tournaments. At the time of his enrollment at Columbia, Grunberger was a Tennis Recruiting Network five-star recruit ranked as high as third in New York, seventh in the Mid-Atlantic and 31st nationally. He was also ranked as high as second in the nation and first in the East according to USTA rankings. "We've known Daniel for a long time. He has one of the better forehands I have seen," Tanasoiu said. "Along with his competitive drive, I believe he will have a chance to be one of the best additions to our program."
 
Al Hill
6-foot-2 – Atlanta, Ga. (The Westminster Schools)
Hill competed in three Georgia Independent School Association championships with The Westminster Schools, going undefeated in his senior season during the team's title run. He was two-time captain and was named the team's most valuable player three times. He was ranked 109th nationally among his recruiting class upon his arrival at Cornell. "Al has a great demeanor and combined with his work ethic and passion for the game, there is a bright future ahead of him," Tanasoiu said. "He has a great build and can generate a remarkable amount of power. We are looking forward to having him as part of our group and helping him develop his game."
 
Lev Kazakov
Moscow, Russia
Kazakov joins the Big Red as one of the highest-ranked recruits entering the NCAA. He was the top-ranked recruit out of Russia and was tabbed as high as 30th in the world among juniors by the International Tennis Federation. He competed in three junior grand slam events in 2016, capped with an appearance at the US Open Junior Championships earlier this week after he advanced to the Round of 32 at junior events at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He won two ITF Grade 2 tournaments in Switzerland and Italy, and he finished in second place in February at the Grade 1 Yeltsin Cup in Kazan, Russia. "We have known Lev for quite some time now, and we believe he epitomizes everything we look for in a student-athlete — starting with his work ethic, his discipline and his character," Tanasoiu said. "He embodies powerful character value that we embrace as a program. His experience playing the best juniors in the world combined with his athleticism give him an opportunity to play tennis at a very high level."
 
Joseph McAllister
6-foot-1 – St. Louis, Mo. (Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School)
McAllister was a Tennis Recruiting Network four-star recruit ranked second in Missouri, fourth in the Plains Region and 107th nationally at the time of his arrival on East Hill. McAllister was the 2016 Missouri Class 1 singles champion after winning the doubles title the year before. He was also part of four team championships with MICDS and served as a captain during his senior season. "Joe has a great work ethic and high upside. There is a lot of room for growth in his game, starting from his physical strength all the way to his technical game," Tanasoiu said. "He will have the opportunity to train and learn from some strong players around him, and my belief is that he will flourish in our system."
 
Pietro Rimondini
Boca Raton, Fla.
Rimondini joins the Big Red as a Tennis Recruiting Network five-star recruit, having been nationally ranked as high as 17th in 2014 and 2015. He earned main draw wildcards in USA Futures events in Florida earlier in 2016. "Pietro is one of the better athletes we've had in our program in the last five years," Tanasoiu said. "His eagerness to compete along with his athleticism will give him a chance to compete against the best players in college tennis. With the right guidance, we believe he will have a great chance to thrive here both academically and athletically."
 
Rohan Sikka
London, England (University College School)
Sikka joins the Big Red after being ranked as high as 17th among juniors in the United Kingdom. "Rohan will surprise a lot of people down the road. He is a natural athlete that can play at a very high level," Tanasoiu said. "Surrounded by a strong senior class and a lot of other talented players, he will have the opportunity to take his game to a very high level."