Kirstein nets two wins, leads Tech trio at USTA/ITA Regional
Justin Kirstein had the top results of the three Golden Eagle men's tennis players competiting over the weekend at the USTA/ITA Regional in Lexington, Ky.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Justin Kirstein recorded a pair of victories
in singles qualifying play and finished the weekend with the top
record among the three Golden Eagle players competing at the
USTA/ITA Regional, hosted by the University of Kentucky.
Kirstein went 2-1 while Alex Chen posted a 1-1 mark in singles and
Josh Girling was 0-1. In doubles action, the pair of Chen and
Kirstein was defeated in their first contest and
eliminated.
Kirstein was the first Golden Eagle to begin play in the
tournament, rolling to an easy 6-3, 6-1 win over Butler's Lenz
Theodor in a qualifying round. He followed with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win
over Roger Ordeig of East Tennessee, earning a spot in the main
singles draw. His run ended with a tough loss to Vanderbilt's Blake
Bazamik, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Girling and Chen each drew seeded foes in their first singles
matches. Girling faced No. 6 Alex Musialek of Kentucky and fell,
6-2, 6-4. Musialek advanced to the quarterfinals. Chen, meanwhile,
opened with Kentucky's Anthony Rossi, the No. 15 seed in the field.
After dropping the first set 6-3, Chen battled back to take a
convicing 6-1 win in the second set. Rossi prevailed in the third
set, 6-3, to advance.
Chen played in the singles main draw consolation round and claimed
a 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-0 win over Jorge Varon of East Tennessee
State.
The doubles draw pitted Chen and Girling against the pair of Taylor
Patrick and Nick Swartz from the University of Tennessee and the
Vol duo posted an 8-2 win.
Coach Kenny Doyle's squad continues the fall tournament season next
weekend at the Louisville Winter Invitational. The team wraps up
play Nov. 5-7 at Alabama's Crimson Tide Fall Invitational.
