Salazar advances to singles round; on All-American list again

WINSTON SALEM, N.C. — Jose Salazar earned All-America honors for the second straight year Thursday when when he advanced to the singles round of 16 at the NCAA Championships held at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.

The Arkansas senior scored a 6-1, 7-5 victory against No. 54 Billy Griffith of California.

“It was a tough match, and I knew there was a lot of pressure because I was one win away from becoming an All-American for the second time in my career,” Salazar said. “My opponent and I had a similar style of play, so I knew it would be a mental challenge to remain on top.”

Up next for Salazar is a Friday showdown with No. 16 Timo Stodder of Tennessee at a time to be determined. With the win Thursday, Salazar bettered his singles record this season to 26-10 overall and 11-5 against nationally ranked opponents.

To earn All-America status in singles, the student-athlete must be a top 16 seed at the NCAA Championships, reach the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships, or finish in the top 20 of the ITA’s national rankings.

“It’s an honor to become and All-American, an achievement made possible by the work and effort of my coaches (Andy) Jackson and (Nestor) Briceno, who’ve helped improve my game over the past three years,” Salazar said.

Last season, Salazar earned All-America status in doubles. He and Mike Redlicki finished as the No. 10 doubles duo in the country with a 14-9 overall record. They advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Championships, where they fell to the eventual national champions.