University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins Move Into Singles, Doubles Quarters
May 25, 2018 | Men's Tennis
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. โ Three UCLA contenders are still alive in the NCAA Men's Tennis Singles and Doubles Championships as competitions head into the weekend at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. Top-seeded Martin Redlicki is the last Bruin standing in the singles bracket, while the tandems of Austin Rapp-Keegan Smith and Redlicki-Evan Zhu make up a quarter of the remaining doubles field.
The quarterfinal rounds are set for Saturday. All singles matches will get started at 9 a.m. (PT), while each Bruin doubles pair will begin play at noon.
Top-ranked Redlicki, who dropped the first set in each of his initial matches, had a much easier go of it in the Round of 16. The senior received little pushback from Mississippi State sophomore Giovanni Oradini, breaking the No. 23-ranked player twice in the opening set. The second was more of the same, with Redlicki securing his second-straight win by way of ace. The 6-2, 6-1 victory set up a round-of-eight date with Mazen Osama of Alabama.
An ACE sends Redlicki to the NCAA singles quarterfinals after a 6-2, 6-1 downing of Oradini (Miss St.) #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/bbBp1Wwx2w
โ UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) May 25, 2018
Rapp-Smith, ranked 16th by Oracle/ITA, doubled up No. 34 Constantin Schmitz-Ewan Moore of Tulane in the first set, but was in for a stiff test from its Green Wave counterpart. Schmitz-Moore matched Rapp-Smith every step of the way in the second, with the pairs needing a tiebreaker to decide if a third set was necessary. The UCLA duo ran off six-straight points once there, but quickly found itself knotted at six-all. A big overhead smash by Smith ultimately did the Schmitz-Moore in and sent the Bruin twosome into the quarters and a showdown with second-seeded William Blumberg-Robert Kelly of North Carolina.
Also in for a weekend test is No. 29 Redlicki-Zhu, which will take on the top-seeded Mississippi State pair of Nuno Borges-Strahinja Rakic after turning in a straight-set win of its own Friday. The Bruin tandem upset No. 8 Korey Lovett-Eero Vasa of UCF, 7-5, 6-3, with the powerful serve of Redlicki again proving the capper. The quarterfinal-round appearance marks the second in as many years for Redlicki-Zhu.
With the doubles wins Friday, both Rapp-Smith and Redlicki-Zhu secured All-American selections. Redlicki, who had already secured his third-career honor for his singles résumé, is joined by two-time recipient Zhu and first-timers Rapp and Smith.
Players Mentioned
