Feb. 20, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. — After claiming its highest ranking since the 2003 season earlier this week, the ninth-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team continues one of the toughest schedules in the country when it travel to face No. 3 Ohio State on Sunday in Columbus.
“Ohio State is always one of the toughest teams in the country in terms of how well they compete,” UK head coach Dennis Emery said. “It is going to be a challenge for us to step up and meet.”
Kentucky (7-3) is off to one of its best starts in recent history, reaching its highest ranking in eight seasons when the Wildcats were ranked as high as eighth. Individually, Kentucky boasts two players in the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations top-20 with sophomores Eric Quigley and Alex Musialek ranking eighth and 29th respectfully. Quigley and doubles partner, junior Brad Cox, are listed No. 14 in doubles.
Quigley and Musialek have been a rock leading the Kentucky singles rotation with Quigley in the No. 1 position and Musialek at No. 2. So far this season, Quigley has posted a 7-1 singles record and has won six consecutive decisions. The native of Pewee Valley, Ky., defeated two ranked players last weekend in the ITA Team Indoor National Championships in No. 43 Dennis Nevolo of Illinois and No. 54 Bradley Klahn of Stanford. The sensational sophomore has defeated four ranked opponents on the season.
Musialek, a native of Dax, France, is also enjoying a standout season for Kentucky. Musialek has posted a 7-2 singles record and has surpassed 30 wins in his Wildcat career. Musialek was brilliant for the Wildcats at indoor team nationals last weekend, going 2-0. The Frenchman and his fellow countryman Anthony Rossi have played well at doubles this season also, posting a 6-3 doubles record at the No. 3 doubles position.
Kentucky is still riding momentum from one of the biggest wins in school history, a 4-3 victory over then-No. 2 Virginia in Lexington on Feb. 6. The Wildcats meeting with Ohio State (8-1) marks the eighth time this season that UK has played a ranked team, with the Wildcats holding a 4-3 record. Along with the victory over Virginia, Kentucky has posted wins over then-No. 13 Illinois, then-No. 16 Wake Forest and then-No. 41 Michigan.
The Buckeyes are led in singles by No. 43 Justin Kronauge, No. 46 Dino Marcan and No. 52 Chase Buchanan. OSU does not have a ranked doubles tandem. Ohio State has consistently been one of the best men’s tennis programs in the country. The Buckeyes currently ride a 95 match home-match winning streak that dates back to the 2003 season. The last home match that the Buckeyes lost was on April 5, 2003 to Illinois. More impressively, OSU has won 93 consecutive regular-season matches, home or away, since 2006. The Buckeye’s last regular-season lost was to Notre Dame on Feb. 26 2006.
Kentucky has been a streak-breaking team already this season, taking down Virginia’s 63-match regular season win streak. In 2005, Kentucky also played the role of spoiler by snapping then-No.2 Illinois’ 48-match home winning streak.
Live results for the match will be available online at ukathletics.com.
