Razorbacks Ranked No. 19 Entering Spring Season

Team Rankings | Singles Rankings | Doubles Rankings

TEMPE, Ariz. – Riding the momentum of the program’s first 20-win season since 1986 and a fall season that featured an ITA Central Regional singles title and an ITA/USTA National Indoor Championship singles title, the Arkansas men’s tennis team boasts a strong presence in the updated Oracle/ITA national rankings released on Wednesday.

Arkansas checks in at No. 19 in the team rankings, after going 20-9 and finishing the season ranked No. 20 in the nation this past season. That team also earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. Head coach Andy Jackson welcomes back eight returners, including two singles players ranked in the top 20 in the nation.

Mike Redlicki is up eight spots to No. 3 in the nation in the singles rankings, the highest-ranked singles player in the Southeastern Conference. The senior from Chicago, Illinois, went 17-2 in singles play, including 11-1 against ranked opponents, this past fall. He also won the singles titles at the ITA/USTA National Indoor Championships, defeating five top-20 opponents over four days on his run to the national title.

Jose Salazar is one of the biggest movers, rising from No. 45 to No. 19 in the singles rankings. The senior from Tenerife, Spain, went 11-3 in singles play, including 4-3 against ranked opponents, this past fall. He won the singles title at the ITA Central Regional Championship, not dropping a set until the final, and then advanced to the Round of 16 at the ITA/UTSTA National Indoor Championships.

Arkansas is one of six SEC teams, along with Georgia (T-5), Florida (11), Kentucky (15), Texas A&M (16) and Mississippi State (20) ranked in the top 25 in the nation. The Razorbacks will also face No. 4 Texas, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 14 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Illinois, and, possibly, No. 21 Michigan in nonconference play this season.

Arkansas is also one of four teams in the nation, along with California, Ohio State, and Wake Forest, with two players raked in the top 20 in the singles rankings. Redlicki and Salazar are two of nine SEC players ranked in the top 25 in the singles rankings.

The Razorbacks begin the 2017 season on Jan. 14 against Tulsa, which is receiving votes in the team rankings. It’s the first of 12 home dates on the schedule that also includes seven night matches, starting with SMU, which is also receiving votes in the team rankings, on Jan. 20.

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