May 14, 2010
Video of Emery, Quigley and Musialek previewing tournament
LEXINGTON, Ky. –– The No. 12-seed University of Kentucky men’s tennis team begins play in the NCAA Championships on Saturday when it battles Cleveland State at 1 p.m. EST at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center. The contest is the second of two first-round matches taking place Saturday as Georgia Tech faces Binghamton at 10 a.m. EST.
The winners of both matches compete in a second-round matchup Sunday at 1 p.m. EST for the opportunity to advance to the Round of 16 in Athens, Ga.
In a rematch of last season’s NCAA Championships first-round meeting, Kentucky (23-8) plays Horizon League champion Cleveland State (20-6). The Wildcats defeated the Vikings 4-0 a year ago, winning the doubles point and earning wins at Nos. 1, 3 and 5 singles. UK lost its second-round match with Wake Forest, 4-2.
Cleveland State is led by four-time first-team All-Horizon League honorees Phil Orno and Ryan Hamning at Nos. 1 and 3 singles, respectively. Cleveland State is making its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under eighth-year head coach Brian Etzkin.
Kentucky is looking to rebound from a 4-0 setback against Ole Miss in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Championships on April 23. The Wildcats were on a seven-match win streak prior to the loss and enter the NCAA Championships with the most wins in a season since the 1992 squad went 24-5 en route to a sixth-place finish.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats are making their 21st NCAA Championships appearance, including 16 of the last 17 tournaments. All 21 appearances have come under the tenure head coach Dennis Emery. The 28-year head coach ranks second in the nation in NCAA Championships appearances.
Sophomores Eric Quigley and Alex Musialek lead UK’s attack. Quigley ranks 12th in the nation in singles with a 19-6 record and has won nine of his last 10 matches. Musialek ranks 49th in the country with an 18-7 record in singles play.
Kentucky also boasts two ranked doubles teams. Quigley and junior Brad Cox have been listed among the nation’s top-25 duos all season and enter this weekend at No. 22 with a 15-9 record at No. 1 doubles. Junior Alberto Gonzalez and senior Alex Lambropoulos are listed at No. 76 entering the tournament. The tandem has registered a 10-8 mark this spring, including a 7-2 record in the SEC.
MATCH SCHEDULE
First Round: Saturday, May 15
Match 1: Georgia Tech vs. Binghamton, 10 a.m. EST
Match 2: Cleveland State vs. Kentucky, 1 p.m. EST
Second Round: Sunday, May 16
Match 3: Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 1 p.m. EST
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the championships are on sale now. Fans can purchase championship passes and single-day tickets by calling 1-800-928-CATS or in person at the UK ticket office at the Joe Craft Center, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Ticket prices include:
Adult All Tournament Pass: $10
Child/Senior/Student All Tournament Pass: $6
Adult Single Day: $6
Child/Senior/Student Single Day: $4
The Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex will open one hour prior to the start of the first match. (Cash ONLY at the Boone Tennis Complex) Ticket Sales/Will Call/Player Pass will be located outside at the northwest corner of the facility.
PARKING
Spectators can park in residential lots (R-lots) near the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex along Sports Center Drive. Additional parking is available on a pay-to-park basis in Parking Structure 7 adjacent to the tennis complex. Live scoring and additional tournament details will be available at UKathletics.com.
