June 8, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Several members of the University of Kentucky men’s tennis team are ranked in the top 100 of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association final singles and doubles rankings, including junior Eric Quigley at No. 7, equaling the fourth highest singles ranking in school history, the association announced Wednesday.
Quigley is joined in the rankings by fellow junior Alex Musialek, who finishes the season at No. 47, and senior Alberto Gonzalez, who ends his collegiate career ranked 92nd. Quigley and senior Brad Cox are UK’s lone doubles duo ranked, coming in at No. 19 in the final doubles rankings.
The Wildcats end the season with three ranked singles players for the first time since 1997 when Cedric Kauffmann, Ludde Sundin and Marcus Fluitt highlighted the rankings. Kentucky’s three ranked singles players in the final poll is just one off the school record high when UK had four players ranked in the final rankings in 1992.
For the second consecutive season, Quigley and Musialek rank in the top 50 at season’s end after Quigley was No. 10 and Musialek was No. 48 last season. The consecutive top-50 rankings mark the first time since the 1988 and 1989 seasons that Kentucky has had at least two players ranked in the top 50 of the ITA final rankings in consecutive seasons.
Quigley’s No. 7 ranking is the highest final ranking for the Kentucky program since former All-American Bruno Agostinelli finished the 2009 season ranked fourth in the nation. The junior’s high mark is now tied for the fourth-highest final singles ranking in school history, equaling former UK All-American Jesse Witten’s No. 7 ranking in 2004. Witten holds the highest final singles ranking in school history with his No. 3 mark in 2005, while Witten and Agostinelli are tied for second with a No. 4 ranking in 2002 and 2009, respectively.
The native of Pewee Valley, Ky., had a splendid 2011 season, tying the school record for singles wins with 45. The top-10 ranking and Quigley’s high seed in the NCAA Singles Championship makes him a singles All-America honoree for the second consecutive season. Quigley is now a three-time All-America recipient after being named singles and doubles All-American last season. Quigley is only the fifth three-time All-American in school history, joining Rich Benson, Greg van Emburgh, Kauffmann and Witten.
The All-American ended the season with a 22-10 record in dual matches, while he earned a 28 wins during the 2010-11 season against ranked foes, including three wins against players ranked in the top five. Quigley, who was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation during the year, never fell out of the top eight throughout the season. During the fall, Quigley advanced to the finals of the ITA/D’Novo All-American Championships, becoming only the sixth player in school history to compete in the finals of a collegiate tennis grand slam.
Musialek, who was ranked as high as No. 32 in the nation this season, finishes the year with his second consecutive top-50 final ranking. The native of Dax, France, was impressive for UK during the 2011 season, earning a 28-16 record with 13 wins over ranked foes in dual-match play. Musialek also qualified for the NCAA Singles Championship for the second consecutive season, earning his first win in the tournament this year with a straight-sets win over then-No. 42 Ed Corrie of Texas in the first round.
The Frenchman was a clutch performer for UK, clinching Kentucky’s opening round win in the Southeastern Conference Championship over Auburn and earning the clinching point in UK’s victory over in-state rival Louisville to send the Wildcats to consecutive Sweet 16s. Musialek ended SEC play with a team-high 10 wins.
Gonzalez was also stellar for UK in his final season with the team, earning a No. 92 final ranking. The native of Bradenton, Fla., made Kentucky unbeatable this season when he earned a singles match at No. 4 singles. Kentucky was an impressive 26-0 this season when it earned a win at the No. 4 singles position. The senior was instrumental in Kentucky’s success this season, including helping the Wildcats to their second ever appearance in the SEC Tournament Final where he earned all-tournament honors.
Originally for Panama, Gonzalez ended the 2011 season with a 26-10 record and ends his UK career with an 85-48 record. Gonzalez, who was ranked nearly all season in singles and doubles with freshman Tom Jomby, played in the NCAA Tournament all four seasons he was a Wildcat and helped Kentucky set a school record for wins in consecutive seasons for the first time in the modern era of Kentucky tennis.
Quigley and Cox, who is Kentucky’s lone doubles tandem ranked in the final rankings, complied a solid 2011 season. The duo, which ended the 2010 season with All-America honors and ranked 17th in the nation, qualified for the NCAA Doubles Championship for the second consecutive season. The tandem fell in the opening round of the tournament this season to top-five ranked Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher of Stanford.
Cox, a native of Duluth, Ga., is the only player in school history to play in four consecutive NCAA Doubles Championship. The senior ends his career as one of the best doubles players in school history, ranking in the top 30 of the ITA doubles ranking all four seasons and posting over 70 doubles wins. Quigley and Cox finished 20-19 this season.
For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, visit UKathletics.com or follow “University of Kentucky men’s tennis team” on Facebook.
