Redlicki-Zhu Advances to Doubles Final
May 27, 2018 | Men's Tennis
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. โ On a day of both heartbreak and exultation, UCLA saw one NCAA Championships dream continue and two others come to an end Sunday at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
The doubles pair of Martin Redlicki-Evan Zhu will look to become the 13th doubles champion in program history when it takes on Martin Joyce-Mikael Torpegaard of Ohio State in Monday's final (not before 10:00 a.m., PT). Redlicki-Zhu topped the Memphis duo of Ryan Peniston-Andrew Watson, 6-3, 7-6 (6), in Sunday's second semifinal.
UCLA's doubles team of Austin Rapp-Keegan Smith dropped its semifinal match versus Joyce-Torpegaard in a nail biter, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 0-1 (8), while Redlicki's stellar singles career came to a close in a 1-6, 6-4, 4-6 loss to Wake Forest's Petros Chrysochos.
Redlicki had a rough start to his singles match with Chrysochos, dropping six of seven opening-set games to the junior from Cyrus. The nation's No. 1 player would bounce back, though, securing the second set thanks to a big break that gave the Bruin a 5-4 edge. The final frame was more of the same, with Redlicki and Chrysochos trading breaks to set up match point for the Demon Deacon. Needing a break to set up an all-Wake Forest singles final, Chrysochos did just that.
The loss dropped Redlicki's singles record to 29-7 on the season and 114-32 for his career.
The difference in the day's first semifinal could not have been much slimmer. UCLA's other final-four tandem of Austin Rapp-Keegan Smith saw each of its first two sets with Joyce-Torpegaard go to a tiebreaker to set up a 10-point match tiebreaker. There, the Buckeyes sprinted out to a 5-1 advantage, only to have the Bruins rally. Joyce-Torpegaard, which topped Rapp-Smith in the semifinal round of the team tournament with yet another tiebreaker, prevailed by the smallest of margins again Sunday, 10-8.
The Bruin duo fell to 18-10 on the campaign, capping a season that marked the beginning for Smith and the end for Rapp. The senior from Rancho Mirage, Calif. had a standout final run, going 15-5 in singles play and 23-13 in doubles action. He was recently named the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner for the Southwest Region.
In the second semifinal, Redlicki-Zhu jumped out to a 2-0 first-set advantage only to have the Tiger tandem even things up at 2-2. The reigning Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year took four of the next five games, however, to officially set the tone with a first-set win. A back-and-forth second set culminated in one more tiebreaker, which Redlicki-Zhu captured narrowly, 8-6.
"I think we did a good job of making a play on returns," said Redlicki. "We got the one break in the first set, and even though we didn't get a break in the second, we were making them think and had a few chances on deuce points. We didn't give them much for free and we both served well to have it go our way."
Redlicki will look to become the third two-time NCAA doubles champion, having previously teamed with Mackenzie McDonald to share the crown in 2016. Bruins Bob Perry (1953, 1954) and Ian Crookenden (1965, 1966) previously accomplished the feat.
"It is exciting," said Zhu. "We lost in quarters last year, so it is great to have gotten to the final. We will play our game and be aggressive and hope for the best.
"Marty is a senior and it is his last collegiate match, so hopefully I can help him go out with a title."
Players Mentioned
