LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ryan Lipman advanced to the semifinal round of the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley regional, but was unable to get past the No. 1 player in the nation to advance to the finals.
Lipman, seeded fourth in the tournament, defeated No. 6 Alex Musialek of Kentucky, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, in the quarterfinal round and faced Tennessee’s JP Smith in the semifinal match. Lipman fell, 6-2, 6-3, to Smith, who closed out the 2009-10 season with a 41-9 record and a No. 2 national ranking.
Freshman Blake Bazarnik’s opponent in the quarterfinal match, Eric Quigley of Kentucky, currently ranks at No. 6 in the nation and was the No. 2 seed of the tournament. Bazarnik was unable to top Quigley, falling 6-3, 6-2. Quigley also won his semifinal match, setting up a 1-2 final in the Ohio Valley Region.
The Commodores will split into two squads for their next competition, as some members of the team will travel to Athens, Ga. for the Bulldog Scramble, while others will play in the Crimson Tide Invitational in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Both tournaments will take place over the Nov. 4-7 weekend.
Sunday Results
Singles – Quarterfinals
(4) Ryan Lipman (VU) def. (6) Alex Musialek (UK) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
(2) Eric Quigley (UK) def. Blake Bazarnik (VU) 6-3, 6-2
Semifinals
(1) JP Smith (UT) def. (4) Ryan Lipman (VU) 6-2, 6-3
