May 23, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky men’s tennis seniors Eric Quigley and Alex Musialek began their run in the 2012 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championship by each posting first round wins on Wednesday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. UK junior Anthony Rossi dropped his first round match to second-seeded Mitchell Frank of Virginia.

This is the second consecutive season that Quigley and Musialek have advanced past the first round and into the round of 32. Both players will resume action in the event Thursday with Quigley taking on No. 18 Andreas Mies of Auburn at 10 a.m., while Musialek faces No. 52 Ignacio Taboada of Georgia at 1 p.m. Quigley will also participate in the NCAA Doubles Championship on Thursday when he teams with sophomore Panav Jha to battle Gregg Cohenca and Evan Zimmer of Bucknell at 3 p.m. ET. All times are Eastern.

“A really good start to the tournament for our guys,” UK head coach Dennis Emery said. “I was very pleased with how both Eric and Alex approached their matches today. It was a workmanlike performance by both players and I look forward to the same type of effort tomorrow in the second round. Anthony also gave great effort tonight, but just fell a little short to a premier player.”

Quigley, who is ranked third in the country and seeded third in the singles event, began the day with a straight-sets win over No. 41 Andre Dome of Cal-Poly. After starting off slow in the first set, Quigley rallied to earn a 7-5 win and continued that momentum into the second set for a 6-4 win to claim the match. The native of Pewee Valley, Ky., is now 49-7 on the season.

Musialek, who is ranked 15th in the nation and seeded in the 9-16 group, would use a come-from-behind effort to get his first-round victory. The UK star held serve for much of the first set before No. 69 Damian Hume of Boise State was able to grab a late break and earn the 7-5 victory. Musialek would respond, getting an early break in the second set for a 6-1 win and then keeping the pressure on in the third set for a 6-2 victory to earn the match. The native of Dax, France, is now 29-11 on the season in singles.

Rossi faced a tough task in the first round, drawing second-seeded Frank, who spent time this season as the top-ranked player in the nation and has only lost one singles match all season. Rossi and Frank played a tight first set before the UVa star would eventually win 6-4. The two players went back and forth in the second set with both players earning breaks before Frank was able to increase his lead to 5-3 and grab the set 6-4.

“Anthony played a very solid match tonight,” Emery said. “Frank is just a little more solid of a player right now. Great season for Rossi though. He should be ranked top 10 in the country to start the fall season. It’s too bad this season had to end for him because he is truly one of the best competitors I have ever coached.”

The loss for Rossi ends a fantastic junior season that saw the junior go 37-7 overall and 22-4 in dual matches. The native of Marseille, France, was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Ohio Valley Regional Player to Watch, while also winning the Southeastern Conference Coaches’ Indoor Championships earlier this season. Rossi, who was a first-team All-SEC performer, is currently ranked 22nd in the nation in singles and spent the entire spring season inside the top 30.

For NCAA Tournament live scores, streaming video, ticket information and more, visit the tournament central webpage here: http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/ncaa-2012.html.

For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow “UKMensTennis” on Twitter or like “University of Kentucky men’s tennis team” on Facebook.

NCAA Singles Championship

First Round – Wednesday, May 23, 2012

#3 Eric Quigley (3), KENTUCKY def. #41 Andre Dome, CAL POLY, 7-5, 6-4
#15 Alex Musialek (9-16), KENTUCKY def. #69 Damian Hume, BOISE STATE, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
#2 Mitchell Frank (2), VIRGINIA def. #22 Anthony Rossi, KENTUCKY 6-4, 6-4

Second Round – Thursday, May 24, 2012

#3 Eric Quigley (3), KENTUCKY vs. #18 Andreas Mies, AUBURN – 10 a.m. ET
#15 Alex Musialek (9-16), KENTUCKY vs. #52 Ignacio Taboada, GEORGIA – 1 p.m. ET

NCAA Doubles Championship

First Round – Thursday, May 24, 2012

#7 Eric Quigley/Panav Jha (5-8), KENTUCKY vs. Gregg Cohenca/Evan Zimmer (Bucknell) – 3 p.m. ET