May 21, 2003

ATHENS, Ga. – Kentucky sophomore Jesse Witten advanced to the second round of the NCAA Men’s Individual Tennis Championships Wednesday with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Ohio State’s Jeremy Wurtzman. Witten is set to return to action Thursday at 12:30 p.m. against Stanford’s 49th-ranked K.C. Corkery.

With the first set tied at two, the ninth-ranked Witten took three consecutive games to take a 5-2 lead. He would surrender one more game in the set before finishing off the set by a 6-3 count.

The second set proceeded in similar fashion, with a 2-2 tie evolving into a 5-3 Witten lead. Wurtzman, however, would battle back to capture three consecutive games, threatening to force the match into a third set. Witten responded with a strong showing to tie the set at six, resulting in a tiebreaker. After Witten fell behind 2-0, the sophomore tied the tally at two and fell behind one point before seizing control of the match. Witten took five of the last six points to close out Wurtzman in the tiebreaker, 7-4.

A relieved Witten was pleased to earn the first-round victory.

“I was really glad to get this first match out of the way. I knew it was going to be a tough match going in, and it’s nice to get more experience in this kind of setting. Hopefully, I can use this match to help me tomorrow,” Witten said.

AGATE:

Jesse Witten (UK) def. Jeremy Wurtzman (OSU) – 6-3, 7-6 (4)