(Nov. 17, 2000) — The University of Kentucky men’s tennis team has signed highly touted national recruit Jesse Witten of Naples, Fla., it was announced on November 17 by Coach Dennis Emery.

Witten, ranked second nationally in 1999, was a semifinalist at National Boys 16s in Kalamazoo, Mich. that year. Over this past summer, Witten claimed the National Boys 18s Clay Court Championship in Louisville, Ky., and currently ranks seventh in the U.S. Boys 18s. Witten will join his sister, Sarah, as a member of the UK tennis program. Sarah currently plays for the UK women’s tennis team and joins Carolina Mayorga to form the nation’s 11th-ranked doubles team.

“Jesse is a very solid player and a very competitive person,” Coach Emery said. “He will add a lot of fight to our program. His powerful groundstrokes, grit and speed are a combination of traits that will remind UK fans of (All-American) Cedric Kauffmann. Jesse is probably our top recruit since John Yancey in 1989.”

Jesse will enroll at UK in the fall of 2001, and marks the first signee of the November signing period for the Cats.