July 8, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. –
Several current and former Kentucky men’s tennis players have been active on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) futures tour this summer.
Futures tournaments are entry level of professional tournaments contested in a single week that enable players to eventually reach higher level tournaments on the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour. In general, the ITF Men’s Circuit offers over 400 weeks of tennis which take place in over 60 different countries each year.
• Quigley tests his skills on summer ITF circuit in California
Returning Wildcat sophomore Eric Quigley has participated in three hard court futures tournaments this summer to hone his skills on the courts of International Tennis Federation (ITF) tourneys. Quigley posted his first career circuit win at the Loomis, Calif., futures qualifying draw by defeating fellow American Colt Gaston 6-3, 6-4 in early June. In the next round of qualifying, he fell to China’s Ya-Nan Ma 6-1, 7-6(5).
He also received two singles wild card entries into two other California futures tourneys in Sacramento and Chico. In California’s capital city, Quigley incurred a first-round loss to eventual champion Carsten Ball of Australia ranked No. 196 in the world, 6-2, 6-4. In Chico, he lost to Ball’s countyman (No. 399) Andrew Coelho in a first-round match 6-4, 6-3.
In doubles play, Quigley advanced to the quarterfinals in two tourneys. He partnered with Jarmere Jenkins to defeat fellow Americans Brian Martinez and Martin Rothfels 6-2, 6-1 in Sacramento. In the quarterfinal match, three Wildcats were on the court. Former UK standouts Tigran Martirosyan and Jesse Witten teamed up to defeat Quigley and Jenkins, 7-5, 6-1.
In Chico, Quigley teamed up with his former Wildcat teammate Bruno Agostinelli on the hard court. The pair defeated American Sean Berman and Australian James O’Brien 7-6(2), 6-2. The UK duo came up short in the quarterfinals, falling to Australia’s Andrew Coelho and Adam Feeney 6-4, 6-1.
• Cox scores first men’s tour points in Ireland
Returning men’s tennis junior Brad Cox earned his first points on the men’s professional circuit, on the carpet last month in Dublin, Ireland. He earned three points after advancing to the quarterfinals in just his fourth professional tourney.
In the Ireland F1 Futures qualifying he defeated Ireland’s Daniel Glancy 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and Ben Pritchard of Great Britain 7-6(7), 6-4 to advance to the main draw. Cox knocked off Duncan Mugabe of Uganda 6-4, 6-3 in the first round. In round two, he beat Milan Pokrajac of Canada 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals. Dublin native Barry King stopped Cox in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to end the Wildcat’s tournament run.
• Musialek participates in French ITF circuit
Alex Musialek, a returning men’s tennis sophomore, has participated in three futures tournaments in his native France this summer all on clay. He earned his first point on the tour by advancing to the round of 16 in Toulon.
He earned his first tour win last month in Blois in the France F8 Futures tourney. Musialek routed countryman Victor Teboul 6-0, 6-0 in qualifying before dropping a match to Eddy Chala of Algeria 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-5.
Musialek won two matches at the France F9 Futures Qualifying Draw in Toulon the following week to advance to the main draw defeating Marc Abdulnour of Syria 7-6(1), 2-0 ret., and fellow Frenchman Kevin Botti 6-2, 6-3. In the main draw, Musialek dispatched Marcus Daniell of New Zealand 6-3, 6-3 in the first round. In the round of 16, he fell to countryman Julien Jeanpierre 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.
At the F10 Futures qualifying in Montauban, Musialek dropped his match to Frenchman Florian Reynet 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-4.
• Former Wildcat Witten wins ITF Futures title in Loomis, Calif.
Former UK All-American Jesse Witten won the USA Futures 12 singles title in Loomis, Calif., in mid-June. Witten defeated Artem Sitak of Russia 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 in the final. The championship is his third title this season after winning tournaments in Harlingen, Texas and Plantation, Fla., this past winter. Witten climbed to No. 290 in the latest world rankings.
