July 1, 2009
MONTREAL – The Davis Cup team of Canada selected former Kentucky tennis player Bruno Agostinelli on Tuesday as one of four men that will comprise the country’s line-up for its match at Peru on July 10-12.
Team captain Martin Laurendeau chose Agostinelli along with 2009 Wimbledon doubles semifinalist and Davis Cup veteran Daniel Nestor, Frederic Niemeyer and Peter Polansky. The Canadian team will battle Peru in an Americas Group I first-round playoff outdoors on clay at the Club Lawn Tennis De La Exposicion in Lima. The winner will face Uruguay in a second-round playoff Sept. 18-20.
“Obviously, it’s an honor to be a part of the Davis Cup,” said Agostinelli. “Martin Laurendeau contacted me about a month ago about joining the team. I am excited to play on clay. I grew up playing junior tournaments on the surface.”
Agostinelli becomes the eighth Wildcat to be named to a Davis Cup national team. Current Wildcat Alberto Gonzalez is a member of Panama’s Davis Cup squad.
“I am very happy to have these players representing our country in Davis Cup action,” said Laurendeau. “Both veterans Nestor and Niemeyer have confirmed their presence for the tie, as well as two of our top young singles players, Polansky and Agostinelli.”
The former Wildcat turned pro this summer after a storied collegiate career in the Blue and White.
Agostinelli played in his first post-collegiate tournament last week. He defeated three opponents in straight sets at the USA F14 Futures Qualifying Draw in Chico, Calif., to advance to the main draw of 32. In a first-round match, the Niagara Falls, Canada, native knocked off Luis-Manuel Flores of Mexico 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-2. In the round of 16, Agostinelli took the first set from Gastao Elias of Portugal 6-1 but surrendered the second set 7-5 before retiring in the third set down 3-0.
During doubles play in Chico, Agostinelli teamed up with current Wildcat Eric Quigley. The UK tandem won its first match 7-6, 6-2 before falling in a quarterfinal match.
In May, Agostinelli became the 15th Wildcat in school history to earn All-America honors after advancing to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship quarterfinals at College Station, Texas. Playing in his second consecutive NCAA Singles Championship, he became the fourth Kentucky player to advance to the quarterfinals since 2000. Agostinelli’s first-team All-America honor is the first for any Wildcat since Tigran Martirosyan and Jesse Witten were recognized in 2005.
The 2009 senior captain was also named the Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Agostinelli also earned first-team All-SEC honors in May to become just the second Wildcat to be honored by the conference all four years of his career. He climbed to No. 2 in the ITA singles rankings during his senior season and finished the year at No. 4. Agostinelli recorded his 100th collegiate singles victory during UK’s final home stand of the regular season in April.
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