The fourth annual SDA Awards honoring the 2017-2018 season were presented at the 2018-2019 season-opening Maryland Club Open on October 1 in Baltimore.
All of the awards were voted on by the tour professionals.
Since collecting Team of the Year honors in the 2016-2017 SDA Awards, Manek Mathur & Damien Mudge did not lose a match, earning them an second consecutive Team of the Year Award following an unparalleled undefeated season. The world No. 1’s 2017-2018 season ended with a fifty-four match unbeaten streak, six titles and retaining the world No. 1 ranking.
Their incredible undefeated season also saw Mathur, an Indian international and Trinity graduate, named Player of the Year for a third consecutive season.
Missouri Athletic Club professional Adam Bews was named Most Improved Player, marking his first SDA honor. The Scotsman began the season ranked world No. 26 and ended the season at world No. 14 in May, including a high of world No. 13 in April. Bews reached the semifinals at the Briggs Cup, Hashim Khan and Tavern Club Invitational, and collected his first career SDA title at the Pittsburgh Golf Club Challenger.
Eric Bedell receives the Sportsmanship Award for his overall conduct. The twenty-seven-year-old is a Bates graduate and works as an assistant at the Racquet & Tennis Club. In March, Bedell won his first career SDA title with Bobby Burns at the Hashim Khan.
Twenty-four-year-old Kyle Martino earned Rookie of the Year honors following his debut season. Martino went on to appear in six tournaments over the course of his first proper season, recording wins at the R&TC Challenger, David C. Johnson Jr. Memorial and Delaware Pro Doubles.
The Tournament of the Year award will be revealed at that event over the course of the 2018-2019 season.
2017-2018 Awards:
Team of the Year: Manek Mathur & Damien Mudge
Player of the Year: Manek Mathur
Most Improved Player: Adam Bews
Sportsmanship Award: Eric Bedell
Rookie of the Year: Kyle Martino
Tournament of the Year: To be announced