August 5, 1998

LEXINGTON, Ky.–Playing in front of a partisan crowd, University of Kentucky All-American Cedric Kauffmann raised his arms in triumph after defeating fourth seed VladimirVoltchkov 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the first round of the Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships.Kauffmann then applauded the fans and shook hands with the ballkids after his bestprofessional win. Kauffmann turned pro in May after a distinguished career at UK. He nextfaces Wade McGuire on Thursday.

There was more good news on the homefront. Although Jackie Trail of Paducah lostin the last round of the qualifying tournament, she will play in the main draw as a “LuckyLoser.” That’s the official, and appropriate, term for a loser in the qualifying who gets intothe main draw due to another player’s withdrawal. Trail faces Keri Phebus of NewportBeach, California, in the first round Wednesday at 7 p.m. Phebus was the 1995 NCAAsingles and doubles champion at UCLA.

The 1996 NCAA champion, Jill Craybas, also will be in action Wednesday, andKarin Miller kicks off the day session at 2 p.m. Miller won this $25,000 USTA Women’sChallenger last year as a qualifier and returns triumphantly to Lexington as the top seed.Two other former collegiate stars face off in the men’s second round Wednesday,when 1998 NCAA runner-up Paul Goldstein of Stanford plays former University of Floridastandout Mark Merklein. Merklein ousted seventh seed Gabriel Trifu of Romania onTuesday. Goldstein is one of only two players to be a member of four NCAA-winning tennisteams. Playing at 7 p.m. is men’s top seed Cristiano Caratti of Italy.

In addition to No. 7 Trifu’s ouster, second seed Michael Sell also was upset inTuesday’s first round, by Australian Ben Ellwood. But Ellwood’s sister, Annabel, thewomen’s third seed, didn’t have as good a day as her brother. She was upset by GreatBritain’s Lorna Woodroffe 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the women’s main draw. In otheraction, Nannie de Villiers of South Africa outlasted 15-year-old Russian wild card entrantElena Bovina in a three-hour mid-day marathon, and eighth seed Julie Pullin advanced.For the fans, Wednesday is Lexmark Day, with free admission for all Lexmarkemployees showing a valid ID.

The 1998 $75,000 Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships, the only tennis event inKentucky affiliated with the worldwide pro tennis tours, runs through Sunday at the Hilary J.Boone Varsity Tennis Complex on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington. It is oneof only a handful of professional tennis events that features both men and women like theGrand Slam tournaments. Players are competing for prize money as well as ranking points onthe major pro world rankings. In 1998, alumni of the tournament have defeated top playersPete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Conchita Martinez. For tickets, call 606-224-2276.

FIFTH THIRD BANK TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
COMPLETE AGATE
WOMEN’S QUALIFYING SINGLES:

Second Round
Keri Phebus def. Massoumeh Emami 6-3, 6-0

Final Round
Jill Craybas def. Jackie Trail 6-1, 6-1
Kirsten Freye def. Jennifer Poulos 6-4, 6-4
Kazue Takuma def. Abigail Tordoff 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Keri Phebus def. Lara Van Rooyen 6-4, 6-4

WOMEN’S MAIN DRAW
SinglesNannie De Villiers def. Elena Bovina 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Bea Bielik def. Renata Kolbovic 6-3, 6-1
Lorna Woodruffe def. (3) Annabel Ellwood 6-3, 6-1 (8)
Julie Pullin def. Katrina Schlukebir 6-3, 6-3
Saori Obata def. Wynne Prakusya 0-6, 6-3, 6-0

MEN’S MAIN DRAW
First RoundMichael Joyce def. Tomas Catar 6-1, 6-3
Mark Merklein def. (7) Gabriel Trifu 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Ben Ellwood def. (2) Michael Sell 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Wade McGuire def. Mashishka Washington 6-4, 6-4
David Di Lucia def. Mark Pinell 6-1, 6-1
Takao Suzuki def. Justin Bower 6-1, 6-1
Cedric Kauffmann def. (4) Vladimir Voltchkov 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

MEN’S DOUBLES
Paul Goldstein/Jim Thomas def. Richard Benson/Marcus Fluitt 6-2, 6-3 (3)
Andrew Painter/Grant Silcock def. Michael Joyce/Gabriel Trifu 7-6 (1), 7-6 (1)
Mark Draper/Toby Mitchell def. Oren Motevassel/Mitsuru Takada 6-2, 6-2
Ben Ellwood/Lleyton Hewitt def, Chris Groer/Andrew Rueb 6-1, 7-5