11-Year ATP Veteran Sarstrand Named SMC Tennis Coach

SPARTANBURG -- Spartanburg Methodist College recently hired an 11-year veteran of the Association of Tennis Professionals as the newest coach of its Pioneer tennis programs. Marcus Sarstrand

Marcus Sarstrand, a native of Sweden, has taken over as tennis coach following the recent departure of former coach Rodney McAlister who accepted a position as coach at Limestone College.

Sarstrand is also a coaching professional at the Westside Club of Spartanburg and has been a member of the United States Tennis Association since 0208.

He comes on board as coach as the SMC tennis teams have to remaining fall scrimmage matches – an away match versus Region X foe USC Lancaster and a home match on Nov. 4 against Newberry College.

I am excited about my new role as head coach at Spartanburg Methodist College and looking forward to the challenges of the coming year," says Sarstrand.

SMC athletic director Mark Perdue comments that Sarstrand's skills and experience will be of great benefit to the SMC tennis programs.

""Marcus brings a great deal of expertise to our tennis program and that will be great in advancing our athletes to the next level," says Perdue.

Sarstrand competed from 1998 to 2009 in the ATP and from 2000 to 2007 was ranked between No. 240 and No. 340. Among his ATP wins include a 1998 defeat of Roger Federer in the 1998 Stockholm Open and Thomas Johansson in the 1998 Swedish open.

Sarstrand has been a member of several European teams, including the French First Division Tennis Team (2005 – 2009), the German Bundesliga (1998 – 2009), and the Swedish National Junior Team (1991 – 1996).

He is a winner of seven Futures titles and competed in both the 1996 junior French Open and junior Wimbledon.

Sarstrand says one of his primary goals is to increase the skill levels across the SMC men's and women's teams.

"There is a wide range of experience on the team, which is a little bit of a challenge in terms of structuring practice, but I am optimistic that our athletes can come together as a team over the course of the year," he says.

Sarstrand adds, "In the short term, I'm focusing on our upcoming matches and hope to have some winning results in both. In the long term, my emphasis is going to be on conditioning and consistency.  I think we can make considerable progress as a team with regular practice and the addition of conditioning work."

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The College is in its 100th academic year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For more information, contact athletic director Mark Perdue at perduem@smcsc.edu or (864) 587-4237.