University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Four Former Tigers Set to Play in ATP Memphis Open
Feb 08, 2017 | Men's Tennis
Tournament draw will be unveiled Friday night.
MEMPHIS – The 2017 Memphis Open doubles draw will have a distinctive blue and gray hue when the matchups for the field are announced at the draw ceremony Friday night at 6 p.m at The Racquet Club of Memphis. Former Tigers Cedric De Zutter and Connor Glennon received a wild card after winning the Southern Open back in December, and former teammates David O'Hare and Joe Salisbury were recently awarded a wild card after the duo won the Dallas Challenger doubles title last weekend.
All four Tigers are well-familiar with The Racquet Club of Memphis. The four were all teammates at Memphis, helping the Tigers to three straight NCAA appearances with one second round and one Round of 16 appearance and a Conference USA Championship [Watch their Championship highlight video here].
In 2013-14, the team of O'Hare and Salisbury played one doubles for the Tigers, winning the ITA Ohio Valley doubles championship [Match Point Video Here], earning an NCAA Doubles Championship bid and ranking as high as number three in the country.
De Zutter, who also serves as a coach at The Racquet Club, and Glennon played two doubles in that same lineup, with both players earning all-conference honors. A year behind the trio of De Zutter, O'Hare and Salisbury, Glennon wrapped his Memphis career in 2015 as the program's all-time winner in number one singles victories (21) and as a four-time, all-conference honoree. [American Athletic Conference doubles point clincher video]
O'Hare and Salisbury have been professionally playing tennis since their May 2014 graduations from Memphis. The duo has won 10 professional doubles titles together, including three at the Challenger Level (Dallas, 2017; Columbus, 2016; Champaign, 2015). In 2014, the then-college seniors played in their first doubles tournament at the Memphis Open, drawing the task of playing the Bryan Brothers, a former world number one ranked doubles pairing, in the opening round and falling 6-4, 6-3. Last year, the duo reunited at the event and faced the team of Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak, falling 2-6, 6-3, 10-5.
Last weekend in Dallas was the tandem's first event together in 2017. The former Tigers had to enter the doubles qualifying draw to win a main draw spot, and promptly took out the four seeds in the main draw, 6-4, 6-4. After a second round walkover, the duo played the first of two thrillers. Against number two seeded Brian Baker and Nicholas Monroe, O'Hare and Salisbury came back from a 6-3 first set loss for a 7-5 win in the second, forcing a tiebreaker. They won that breaker 10-6. In the championship final, the duo dropped a first set tiebreak (10-6), but came back to win the second set 6-3, forcing the decider. The duo fought off four match points to win the breaker 11-9 , grabbing their first Challenger title of 2017 and the third of their careers.
The Memphis Open is an ATP 250 level event and is one of just six 250 level events played in the United States. Singles qualifying begins Saturday at 11 a.m. and main draw events begin Monday at 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.memphisopen.com or by calling 901-765-4427. Tennis shoppers can also purchase tickets for a 10 percent discount at one of three String 'n Swing locations, including the Primacy Parkway store in Memphis.
While the ATP event takes over the Tigers' home courts, the men's and women's teams are off this weekend and will resume competition on the road next weekend. The women's team will travel to Minnesota to face Missouri (Feb. 18) and host Minnesota (Feb. 19), while the men will play at Indiana (Feb. 17). Neither team will play a home match until the month of March.
Be the first to know what's happening with the Memphis Tigers -- Follow @TigersAthletics on Twitter, become a fan of Memphis Tigers Athletics on Facebook, and like the photos on our Instagram account. Be sure to visit our Social Media page and download our Memphis Tigers Gameday mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with #GoTigersGo, become a season-ticket holder or join the Tiger Scholarship Fund!
All four Tigers are well-familiar with The Racquet Club of Memphis. The four were all teammates at Memphis, helping the Tigers to three straight NCAA appearances with one second round and one Round of 16 appearance and a Conference USA Championship [Watch their Championship highlight video here].
In 2013-14, the team of O'Hare and Salisbury played one doubles for the Tigers, winning the ITA Ohio Valley doubles championship [Match Point Video Here], earning an NCAA Doubles Championship bid and ranking as high as number three in the country.
De Zutter, who also serves as a coach at The Racquet Club, and Glennon played two doubles in that same lineup, with both players earning all-conference honors. A year behind the trio of De Zutter, O'Hare and Salisbury, Glennon wrapped his Memphis career in 2015 as the program's all-time winner in number one singles victories (21) and as a four-time, all-conference honoree. [American Athletic Conference doubles point clincher video]
O'Hare and Salisbury have been professionally playing tennis since their May 2014 graduations from Memphis. The duo has won 10 professional doubles titles together, including three at the Challenger Level (Dallas, 2017; Columbus, 2016; Champaign, 2015). In 2014, the then-college seniors played in their first doubles tournament at the Memphis Open, drawing the task of playing the Bryan Brothers, a former world number one ranked doubles pairing, in the opening round and falling 6-4, 6-3. Last year, the duo reunited at the event and faced the team of Marcus Daniell and Artem Sitak, falling 2-6, 6-3, 10-5.
Last weekend in Dallas was the tandem's first event together in 2017. The former Tigers had to enter the doubles qualifying draw to win a main draw spot, and promptly took out the four seeds in the main draw, 6-4, 6-4. After a second round walkover, the duo played the first of two thrillers. Against number two seeded Brian Baker and Nicholas Monroe, O'Hare and Salisbury came back from a 6-3 first set loss for a 7-5 win in the second, forcing a tiebreaker. They won that breaker 10-6. In the championship final, the duo dropped a first set tiebreak (10-6), but came back to win the second set 6-3, forcing the decider. The duo fought off four match points to win the breaker 11-9 , grabbing their first Challenger title of 2017 and the third of their careers.
The Memphis Open is an ATP 250 level event and is one of just six 250 level events played in the United States. Singles qualifying begins Saturday at 11 a.m. and main draw events begin Monday at 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.memphisopen.com or by calling 901-765-4427. Tennis shoppers can also purchase tickets for a 10 percent discount at one of three String 'n Swing locations, including the Primacy Parkway store in Memphis.
While the ATP event takes over the Tigers' home courts, the men's and women's teams are off this weekend and will resume competition on the road next weekend. The women's team will travel to Minnesota to face Missouri (Feb. 18) and host Minnesota (Feb. 19), while the men will play at Indiana (Feb. 17). Neither team will play a home match until the month of March.
Be the first to know what's happening with the Memphis Tigers -- Follow @TigersAthletics on Twitter, become a fan of Memphis Tigers Athletics on Facebook, and like the photos on our Instagram account. Be sure to visit our Social Media page and download our Memphis Tigers Gameday mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with #GoTigersGo, become a season-ticket holder or join the Tiger Scholarship Fund!
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis Edition - April 15, 2025
Tuesday, April 15
Men's Tennis: Getting hyped for outdoor tennis match - March 31, 2024
Sunday, March 31
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis 5/6/21
Thursday, May 06
Wolfchase Toyota Insider: Men's Tennis 3/3/21
Wednesday, March 03