What’s next? They’re going to Disney World!
The inaugural Disney Clay Court Invitational, hosted by Florida State, begins on Friday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. The tournament not only features top college talent from across the nation, but also eight of the top junior tennis players in the country.
The Blue Devils are in for an exciting weekend, with all six Duke competitors playing both singles and doubles. Juniors Chris Mengel and Fred Saba will compete as a duo, along with freshmen Daniel McCall and Josh Levine. Sophomore Jason Tahir and freshman Michael Redlicki will compete as Duke’s final pair.
Ranked No. 15 in preseason doubles, Saba and Mengel are ready to flex their muscles against other top doubles teams.
“We complement each other’s game styles pretty well—we’re both athletic and we’re both pretty good friends,” Saba said. “It’s always a fun time when you’re playing with someone you’re close to.”
Without the issue of pair compatibility to worry about, the Blue Devils can focus on their clay-court performance.
The Blue Devils appear confident in their abilities to perform on clay, head coach Ramsey Smith said. They have spent a good amount time fine-tuning their playing styles to adjust to it and re-familiarizing themselves with the surface.
“We have a lot of guys who grew up playing on clay,” he said. “It’s a nice change of pace for them to get something a little bit different.”
Adjusting to the surface should not be a problem for Saba. The Florida native said that playing on clay reminds him of when he was a youngster growing up in south Florida.
“I love it,” Saba said. “I used to train on it every day for three to four hours a day, so no problem at all playing on it.”
Similarly, Redlicki’s is looking forward to playing on the clay because many of his significant career wins have taken place on it.
Martin Redlicki, Michael Redlicki’s 17-year-old brother and college prospect, will also compete in the tournament. He is currently ranked No. 12 in Boys 18’s by the USTA.
“I’ve played against him in a tournament twice, once when I was nine and the other when I was in 18,” Redlicki said. “Most importantly, I’m excited to see him and hopefully we’ll have a chance to play each other.”
With the anticipation building, the Blue Devils have high hopes for great successes in this unique tournament. For some, it will be the last tournament of the fall.
“I have high expectations for everyone on the team,” Redlicki said. “We have one of the best assembled squads in the country and if everyone is doing the best they can, the team should do quite well.”
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