Arkansas starts spring tennis season on road

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas opens its spring schedule on the road this weekend with a 6 p.m. match against Tulsa on Friday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.

Coach Andy Jackson welcomes back five returners from last year’s team that finished 16-13 overall and 6-6 in Southeastern Conference play.

Last year, Arkansas earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, making its second consecutive appearance in 14 years.

Despite losing ITA/USTA National Indoor Champion Mike Redlicki, Arkansas got a surprise returner in Jose Salazar who was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA. Salazar enters his senior year ranked 113th in the Oracle/ITA Division I Men’s National Singles Rankings, after the first-team All-SEC selection led Arkansas with a 30-9 record last season in singles, including a team-best 19-5 mark in dual matches.

The Hurricane has two top-100 singles players in No. 56 Majed Kilani and No. 82 Joshua Goodger. Arkansas defeated Tulsa a season ago at home 4-3.

Following the Tulsa match, Arkansas will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to square off against the 18th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Last season, the Sooners advanced to the NCAA Tournament round of 16 in Athens, Georgia, where they fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes 4-3.

The Sooners have one top-10 player in the country in No. 10 Ferran Calvo and has a top-50 duo in No. 43 Adrian Oetzbach and Jochen Bertsch.

Last year in Fayetteville, the Sooners walked away with a 5-2 victory over Arkansas.