Aug. 8, 1999
LEXINGTON, Kty.–Kevin Kim and Harel Levy advanced to the Fifth Third Bank TennisChampionship Final on Saturday, as both scored narrow semifinal wins at theHilary J. Boone Tennis Center.
Kim battled qualifier Louis Vosloo in Saturday’s opening match andfought back after dropping the first set to score a 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 win. Kim,whoheld off match points in the third-set tie-breaker, let out a shout of joyafter claiming the win.
“Today I just went for my shots and they kept falling in,” Kim said.?Even my low-percentage shots were going in. I guess luck was on my sidetoday.?
In the second men?s semifinal, Levy downed No. 1 seed Anthony DuPuis,7-5, 7-6. The crowd got behind Levy after his strong first-set showing andclosed out the match in the second set tiebreaker.
In the men’s doubles final, Michael Sell and Gabriel Trifu claimed theFifth Third Tournament Championship with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, victory over ScottHumphries and Kevin Kim. Down 4-3 and love-thirty in the final set, Sell andTrifu won the next twelve straight points to claim the title.
Florencia Labat won the first women?s semifinal, besting qualifierNannie DeVilliers, 7-5, 6-2. DeVilliers, who fought through three qualifyingmatches and three main-draw matches to reach the semifinals and seemed to runout of gas against the Argentinian. Labat advances to face AnnabellEllwood, a7-5, 6-1 winner over Francesca Lubiani in the other ladies? semifinal.
In women?s doubles, Florencia Labat and Alexandra Fusi advanced to thefinals tomorrow by defeating Annabell Ellwood and Irina Selutina, 6-2, 6-2.
Finals of the Fifth Third are set for Sunday, with the men?s andwomen?ssingles finals set for 3 p.m. and the women?s doubles final following thecompletion of the singles final. Tickets are available at the gate.
Men’s Singles Semifinals
Kevin Kim d. Louis Vosloo 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (6)
Harel Levy d. Anthony DuPuis 7-5, 7-6
Men’s Doubles Finals
Michael Sell/Gabriel Trifu d. Scott Humphries/Kevin Kim 7-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4 (5)
Women’s Singles – Semifinals
Florencia Labat d. Nannie DeVilliers 7-5, 6-2
Annabell Ellwood d. Francesca Lubiani 7-5, 6-1
Women’s Doubles – Semifinals
Florencia Labat/Alexandra Fusi d. Annabell Ellwood/Irina Selutina 6-2, 6-2
Yun Ha Kim/Julie Pullin d. Rika Hiraki/Yuka Yoshida 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
For more information on the Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships, contactBrad Sutton at (606) 257-8710
