Aug. 4, 1999

Former University of Kentucky standout Cedric Kauffman lost in the first round of the Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships on Tuesday night in Lexington, Ky., 6-2, 6-2 to No. 5 seed Harel Levy of Isreal.

Kauffman, a crowd favorite of the Fifth Third Bank tournament, reached the quarterfinals of this event last year. Ranked 298 on the ATP tour, Kauffman was disappointed with the loss, but glad to return home.

?I am happy to come back here and play,? Kauffman said. ?Every match is tough at the challenger level and I didn?t play that well tonight. Levy played some good tennis. ?

Levy, ranked 241 on the ATP tour, scored a win over Michael Chang last week at the Safeway Challenger in California. Levy will advance to meet Michael Russell in the second round.

Also a local favorite in this year?s tournament was sixteen-year old Matt Emery, son of UK coach Dennis Emery. Matt, a junior at Lexington Christian, hung tough against ATP tour veteran Doug Flach, but fell in two sets 6-3, 6-3. Flach will meet No. 2 seed Geoff Grant in the second round.

Also on the men?s side, No. 1 seed Anthony DePuis battled back after dropping the first set, besting Daniel Norberg, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. DePuis advances to round two, where he will face Ben Ellwood, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Luke Milligan.

Other first-round winners included Paul Kilderry, who edged Miles MacLagan, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6. Kilderry, who fought off match points in the third-set tie-breaker, said he was grateful for the break in Lexington?s weather.

?Heat could have really been a factor in the match if it had been like it was this weekend,? Kilderry said. ?After my first match on Saturday, I was dead, but today wasn?t that bad. The weather was so nice, I?m not even tired.?

Main draw action continues on Wednesday, with matches set to start at 2 p.m. Paducah, Ky., native Jackie Trail begins her quest for the Fifth Third title Wednesday, when she faces Linda Wild at 7 p.m. in one of the evening?s feature matches.

Tickets are $8 for each session and are available at the gate.

Fifth Third Bank Championships

Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center
Lexington, Ky.

 Men?s Main Draw Round One Anthony DePuis d. Daniel Norberg         5-7, 6-2, 6-2 Ben Ellwood d. Luke Milligan                  6-4, 6-3 Paul Kilderry d. Miles MacLagan      4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) Michael Hill d. Robert Givone        3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-0 Louis Vosloo d. Noam Behr                     6-3, 7-5 Doug Flach d. Matthew Emery                   6-3, 6-3 Noam Okun d. Michael Sell                     7-5, 6-4 Barry Cowan d. Brian MacPhie          7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) Harel Levy d. Cedric Kauffman                 6-2, 6-2   Men?s Doubles Sell-Trifu d. Hadap-Nielsen                   7-5, 6-3 Behr-Okun d. Cowan-Whitehouse             6-4, 7-6 (4)  Women?s Qualifying Final Round Erika DeLone d. Julie Pullin             4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Nannie DeVilliers d. Amanda Grahame       7-6 (3), 6-3 Linda Wild d. Holly Parkinson                 6-3, 6-4  Women?s Main Draw Round One Erika De Lone d. Julie Pullin            4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Francesca Lubiani d. Melissa Middleton        6-2, 6-2 Jana Nejedly d. Larissa Schaerer              6-4, 7-5 Florencia Labat d. Karin Miller               6-0, 6-3 Candice Fuchs d. Christina Papadaki           6-3, 6-1 

For more information on the Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships, contact Brad Sutton at (606) 257-8710