National semifinalist Rush have 3 ITA All-Americans

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana, an NAIA national semifinalist for the third straight year, had three men — Shaikh Abdullah, Catalin Fifea and Antoine Richard — named All-America Wednesday by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
     
The ITA designates as All-America the top 20 singles players and top 10 doubles teams in its end-of-season individual national rankings. Fifea was ranked 16th in singles, and the doubles team of Abdullah and Richard was ranked fourth.
     
Abdullah is a freshman from Hyderabad, India. Fifea is a senior from Bucharest, Romania. Richard is a sophomore from Laval, Quebec.
     
It's the third consecutive season that the Gold Rush produced at least three ITA All-Americans.
     
Two other Gold Rush players made the final national rankings. Samir Chikhaoui(sophomore from Lille, France) was 35th in singles, and Chris Anders (junior from Baton Rouge, La.) was 24th in doubles with Fifea. Richard was 26th and Abdullah 42nd in singles.
     
In the ITA's South Region rankings, Fifea was seventh, Richard 10th, Chikhaoui 15th and Abdullah 18th in singles. Abdullah and Richard were fourth in doubles, and Anders and Fifea were 10th.
     
For the second straight year, Richard earned ITA All-America and was top-4 nationally in the final doubles ranking. He was No. 2 a year ago with Moses Michael. Richard and Kyle Montrel are the only Gold Rush players to make ITA All-America as a freshman and sophomore.
     
Fifea climbed 10 spots from his final singles ranking of last season. In May he was named ITA NAIA Region IV (South) Most Improved Senior. Also receiving a regional honor was Abdullah — Rookie of the Year.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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