Toledo’s Sornlaksup ready to make more tennis history

For the first time in the modern era, a University of Toledo men’s tennis player will be part of the NCAA Division I championship as an individual.

The accomplishment is an appropriate career capstone for Pawit Sornlaksup, perhaps the most decorated player in UT history. The Thailand native is the second Rocket to be named Mid-American Conference player of the year three consecutive seasons. He was also named the MAC tournament MVP the past two years, leading UT to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

“It’s a great ending,” Toledo coach Al Wermer said. “I think it’s a storybook ending, no matter how well he does in Stillwater.”

The schedule was set up for Sornlaksup to improve his individual rating, with an increased strength of schedule and opportunities to win matches. And he took full advantage, going 2-2 against NCAA competitors. Sornlaksup led another 7-6, 5-1 in an unfinished match.

He defeated Virginia Commonwealth’s Mathis Bondaz and Illinois’ Karlos Ozolins, lost to Ohio State’s Jack Anthrop and Cannon Kingsley, and led Notre Dame’s Sebastian Dominko. The loss to Kingsley snapped Sornlaksup’s 45-match winning streak, which stretched over two years.

“I have been waiting for this moment for the past two years,” Sornlaksup said. “I’m very excited to play, and I’ll give everything.”

Sornlaksup plays Arizona’s Colton Smith at 3 p.m. Monday at the Greenwood Tennis Center at Oklahoma State.

The four-time All-MAC honoree enters the week with a career-high No. 65 ranking in the country. He was one of 15 automatic qualifiers in the 64-man field. Playing under pressure is nothing new for Sornlaksup, who clinched both match points in the past two MAC tournaments. This will be a different challenge.

Defying the odds, however, is nothing new. Sornlaksup was a coronavirus pandemic recruit via ASA Miami College, where he was a junior college All-American in doubles. Still, he wasn’t considered a can’t-miss recruit who could change the trajectory of the UT tennis program.

“Well, the payoff was pretty mountainous, that is for sure,” Wermer said. “Everybody was a chance at that point. He was home for that year taking some online courses. With the tennis guys, you had a big gap. You didn’t have results to look at. They weren’t playing. In some cases, they couldn’t even go train.”

With some MAC recruits, coaches can’t wait to get them signed because they sense an under-the-radar prospect. Wermer was thrilled to sign Sornlaksup but didn’t realize all that was in store.

“I didn’t think this was part of the picture,” Wermer said. “We had a recommendation from some former Thai players that I’ve had. So he came on really good recommendation. But I would say he’s certainly exceeded those expectations.”

Sornlaskup has a career record of 127-33, including 27-1 in MAC dual matches. His career bio on UT’s website is 587 words, a similar length to this article. He would like to add a few more this week.

“My goal is to be All-American,” Sornlaksup said, “so that means I have to win two [matches]. But the main thing, I’m just going to have fun, and then I’ll play tennis. I’m not going to put a lot of pressure on myself, but I’ll put a little bit. I’ll do my best and try very hard.”