Two More Wins Propel Chidekh To All-American Semis

TULSA, Okla. – Clement Chidekh's tremendous start to his junior season continued today with back-to-back three set wins to advance him into the semifinals at the ITA All-American Championships. Held at the Michael Case Tennis Center, the tournament is the first of three collegiate "majors" for the 2021-22 season.
 
Chidekh is the first Husky to reach the semifinals of one of the major national tournaments since Alex Slovic made the NCAA singles semifinal in 2007, and the first to do it at the All-American Championships since Alex Vlaski won the tournament in 2003.

"Nothing has been easy to this point and each match has been satisfying. I can't wait to play again tomorrow," said Chidekh.
 
Friday was the one and only day in the schedule where winners had to play twice, cutting the field from sixteen down to four at day's end. In the round of 16, Chidekh lost his first set of the tournament to USC's 68th-ranked Stefan Dostanic, but settled in after that and got the win, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
 
In the quarterfinals, Chidekh earned the highest-ranked win of his career thus far, as he outlasted 13th-ranked Gabriel Diallo of Kentucky, the No. 6-seed in the tournament. Chidekh cruised to a 6-1 first set win but Diallo won the second set, 6-3, and was up a break in the third before Chidekh got going again and closed out the victory, 6-4.
 
"There were ups and downs and all the way around in both matches," said Husky Head Coach Matt Anger. "Clement missed a few balls in the first match today, but then finally settled down late in the second set. There were a couple hiccups in the third but then he rattled off the last four games in a row."
 
Against Diallo in the quarterfinals, Anger said Chidekh came out playing really clean, "As good as you could expect in the quarterfinals, and he was up 4-0 in it seemed like a couple minutes. Then Diallo mixed things up and changed the rhythm and it took Clement some time to adjust. He got rolling in the third, and even though it ended 6-4, it felt like it was going Clement's way."
 
In Saturday's semifinal, Chidekh will take on Ben Shelton of Florida. The match is scheduled for 8 a.m. Pacific time and will be streamed online via the Tulsa Athletics website. The other semifinal features Andre Ilagan of Hawaii, and August Holmgren of San Diego.
 
 
Washington Men's Tennis
ITA All-American Championships
Oct. 8, 2021
Tulsa, Okla. | Case Tennis Center
 
Round of 16
(#72) Clement Chidekh (UW) def. (#68) Stefan Dostanic (USC) – 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
 
Quarterfinals
(#72) Clement Chidekh (UW) def. (#13) [6] Gabriel Diallo (Kentucky) – 6-1, 3-6, 6-4