Redlicki Falls In Opening Round Of U.S. Open

Michael Redlicki’s stay in the U.S. Open was a short one.

The Lake Zurich tennis player took part in the boys singles draw but was unable to find the range on his ground strokes in his opening-round match. Hitting more than 30 unforced errors, including a forehand into the net down match point, he lost 6-4, 6-4 to Gonzalo Lama of Chile.

“I didn’t play my best at all out there,” said Redlicki. “It wasn’t a question of nerves like last year when I was playing at the U.S. Open for the first time. I knew what to expect there, but just couldn’t execute.”

Despite the loss, 2011 has been a stellar year for Redlicki on the court. He won the Midwest Junior Indoor Championships in February and has gone far in several national tournaments, earning him a ranking of No. 13 among junior players in the United States.

A native of Hawthorn Woods, Redlicki learned how to play the game at Lake Bluff Racquet Club, where he trained with former teaching pro Sylvan Guichard, and attended for his freshman and sophomore year.

This past year, he moved down to Boca Raton, Fla., to work on his game with some of the best coaches in the country at the USTA Training Center, and takes classes through K12 Online Public School.

“I definitely feel fitter now just because it’s ridiculously humid in Florida,” said Redlicki. “They have strength and conditioning coaches who work with you just on that, so I felt like I could have played a five-set match out there today if I had to.”

Now entering his senior year, Redlicki has confirmed that he will play college tennis in the fall of 2012 — several top schools already have approached him with scholarship offers.

“All the coaches I’ve talked to have been nice so far, but they’re obviously trying to sell the school a little bit,” said Redlicki. “It’s tough to make a decision until I take my visits, talk to the guys on the teams and get a sense of which school would be best.”