Redlicki, Zhu Named to ITA All-Star Team
June 18, 2018 | Men's Tennis
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Martin Redlicki and Evan Zhu of UCLA men's tennis were named to the 2018 ITA Division I Collegiate All-Star Team, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced Monday.
Redlicki was recognized for finishing the season slotted at No. 1 in the ITA singles rankings. The duo of Redlicki-Zhu garnered its latest praise after capturing the NCAA doubles title in May. Earlier this month, Bruins Redlicki, Zhu, Austin Rapp and Keegan Smith earned All-American selections from the ITA.
After turning in impressive fall results that included a runner-up finish at the ITA All-American Championships and a semifinal trip at the Oracle/ITA National Fall Championships, Redlicki was elevated to the top spot on the governing body's singles list. He remained there in nine of 11 total spring installments, including the final one. Redlicki completed his senior campaign 29-7 and 16-4 in dual-match action.
The tandem of Redlicki-Zhu was nearly left out of the 32-pair final tournament with a No. 29 showing in the May 3 rankings. Five wins later, the senior-sophomore combination proved to be the nation's best. Three of the victories came in three sets, with the final the most dramatic. Redlicki-Zhu defeated Martin Joyce-Mikael Torpegaard of Ohio State, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (4), 11-9, overcoming a match point along the way. Redlicki-Zhu completed its season 23-5 and won its final eight decisions.
The All-America honors, meanwhile, were the second in as many years for Redlicki and Zhu. Rapp and Smith notched their first selections after nearly making the NCAA doubles final an all-Bruin affair. The pair upset second-seeded William Blumberg-Robert Kelly of North Carolina, 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (4), in the quarterfinal round, before falling to Joyce-Torpegaard in a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 0-1 (8) semifinal thriller.
Bruins have received a plethora of awards from the ITA in recent weeks, with Redlicki leading the way as its national and regional Senior Player of the Year. Rapp and Smith earned Southwest Region accolades as the ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award winner and Rookie of the Year honoree, respectively.
Players Mentioned
