Dec. 9, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. — On top of what has been an impressive summer and fall season for University of Kentucky tennis star Eric Quigley, the sophomore’s greatest honor will come when he represents the United States of America in the Master’U BNP Paribas in France starting Wednesday.
Quigley is one of three players chosen to participate in the international collegiate competition held in Poitiers, France on December 9-14.
“It really means a lot to be one of three players that was chosen to play in this tournament and have a chance to represent my country,” Quigley said. “It is an honor to be able to play for the United States and it shows that they think a lot of me as a player to pick me to represent America. I am excited to get the chance to go over to France for the first time in my life and hopefully play well for my country.”
The U.S. team will be competing for the second consecutive year against a talented international field that includes teams from Belgium, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and Mexico. The teams will compete in a best-of-seven format consisting of two men’s and two women’s singles matches, one men’s and one women’s doubles match, and one mixed doubles match.
The American team was selected through a joint partnership between the USTA and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association using the following criteria: the top American male and female finishers at the 2009 ITA All-American Championships; the top male and female American applicants in the 2009 men’s and women’s ITA preseason Division I singles rankings; and remaining roster spots were selected by a committee of USTA Player Development and ITA coaches and staff.
“It’s a great honor for Eric to be named to the U.S. team,” UK head coach Dennis Emery said. “This group of collegians are hoping to bring home a title and they have the talent to do so.”
Quigley, a native Pewee Valley, Ky., claimed the singles title at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships and reached the semifinals in doubles. The sophomore reached the singles and doubles quarterfinals at the 2009 D’Novo/ITA All-American Championships and is No. 24 in the ITA Preseason Division I doubles rankings. The Wildcat made an impressive quarterfinal run in the tourney by defeating four ranked opponents during a six-match win streak. Quigley’s defeat of top-ranked Oleksandr Nedevyesov of Oklahoma State was the highlight of the tourney in Tulsa.
Currently ranked No. 70 in singles, Quigley also defeated No. 9 Sanam Singh of Virginia, a 2009 NCAA men’s singles semifinalist.
