Salazar, Redlicki Drop Heartbreakers At ITA All-American
TULSA, Okla. – Jose Salazar and Mike Redlicki saw their historic runs come to an end Sunday in the Round of 16 at the ITA All-American in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After picking up the program’s first wins in an ITA National Tournament main draw since 2008, they both fell in three sets to top-10 opponents.
“Mike and Jose played two very close, high-quality matches against top-10 opponents,” head coach Andy Jackson said. “Mike had a match point and played well on it. Jose cannot be closer than playing his opponent to a tiebreaker in the third. Both guys are gaining confidence and playing better in many areas and both guys have shown they are among the very best in the NCAA.”
Salazar, after dropping the first set in a tiebreaker, came back and won the second set, to send his match against Wake Forest’s Petros Chryochos, the No. 8 player in the nation, to a decisive third set. There, they played to another tiebreaker, before Salazar came up just short, 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(4). Earlier in the tournament, Salazar had defeated No. 17-ranked Andre Goransson (California).
Redlicki, the No. 11 player in the nation, had not dropped a set entering the day. He and No. 6-ranked player Tow Fawcett (Stanford) played a lengthy first-set tiebreaker, but Fawcett prevailed. Redlicki battled back and won the second set, sending the showdown to a decisive third set, where Fawcett closed out the match, 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-5.
With a win today, Salazar or Redlicki would have become the first Arkansas men’s tennis player to advance to the quarterfinals in an ITA National Tournament main draw since 2008 and would have received an automatic entry into the USTA/ITS National Indoor Championships in November.
Salazar, Redlicki and the Razorbacks return to action next weekend at the UTSA Cup, with play beginning underway in San Antonio, Texas, on Friday, Oct. 14.
ITA All-American:
Saturday Results:
Main Draw Singles
• (Round of 16) No. 6 Petros Chrysochos (Wake Forest) def. Jose Salazar, 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(4)
• (Round of 16) No. 4 Tom Fawcett def. No. 9-16 Mike Redlicki, 7-6(7), 3-6, 7-5
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