UCLA
Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships
Redlicki Runner-Up at ITA All-Americans
October 09, 2017 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. โ Senior Martin Redlicki's run at the 2017 Saint Francis Health System ITA All American Championships came to an end Monday with a loss to No. 4 seed William Blumberg of North Carolina, 6-4, 6-4. Redlicki became the first Bruin to reach the final round of the prestigious event since Robbie Venter in 1981.
Redlicki held serve to open play and take a 1-0 lead in the first set. Blumberg broke first and then held to take a 3-1 advantage, but Redlicki did not fade. The Boca Raton, Fla. native remained in striking distance, waiting for mistakes that were few and far between from the ITA No. 5 player. Blumberg took the first set, 6-4, and rode momentum into the second, breaking Redlicki. The Tar Heel sophomore kept Redlicki at bay in the second set to secure the match.
"Played really strong tennis today," Redlicki said. "Could've played a little bit better, but William played really well. He earned it and just outplayed me in the big moments."
Monday capped an impressive showing for Redlicki, who like Blumberg, entered the final having not dropped a single set to an opponent during the tournament. The Bruin senior shined brightest Saturday, when he defeated No. 5 seed Alfredo Perez of Florida (6-3, 6-4) in the Round of 16, and No. 3 Petros Chrysochos of Wake Forest (6-4, 7-5) in the quarterfinals. Chrysochos won the 2016 installment of the tournament, defeating Perez in the semifinal round.
"[I'm] proud of myself for having an unbelievably good week this week," Redlicki said. "Getting some wins over guys Top 10 in the country, and just great players in general the whole week."
Last season, Redlicki earned a first-round win over qualifier Julius Tverijonas of George Washington before falling to eventual NCAA singles champion Thai-Son Kwiatkowski of Virginia. Redlicki went on to compile a 29-9 singles record and earned an ITA All-America selection for his doubles play. He was also named a First-Team All-Pac-12 honoree.
"Really happy that I was able to end my ITA All-American career with a final and a lot of positives to build on," Redlicki concluded. "I'm really looking forward to what's to come this season."
Players Mentioned
