7 Men’s Qualies Seeds Vie for 4 Main Draw Spots Highlighted
By
J.Cox-Britton; UK’s Megan Broderick Faces Top Seed Fink
Lexington, KY (July 17) – Former Arkansas star Blake
Strode, the top seed in the men’s qualies, blitzed through Minnesota Gopher
Phillip Arndt 6-0, 6-3, and Ohio State’s Chase Buchanan bested Kentucky Wildcat
Brad Cox 7-5, 6-3, as seven of eight seeds marched on Sunday – needing only a
win Monday to get into the main draw.
Michael McClune (4) was the only men’s seed pushed to three
sets, 6-2 in the decider over Darian King of Barbados; Chris Kwon (7) was the
only one to fall, 6-3, 6-1, to wild card Roy Kalmanovich. Match of the day on
the women’s side, fourth-seeded Jan Abaza nipped former Southern Cal No. 1
Maria Sanchez 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5).
Locally, there were
two MVPs – Megan Broderick, who played No. 1 for Kentucky all four years, moving
on to Monday’s second qualies round against top-seeded Amanda Fink…and sponsor
Big Ass Fans whose product enabled the tourney to get through two long rain
delays.
Broderick, who plans to call it a tennis career after this and
concentrate on running middle distances for the UK track team, blasted rising
high school junior Angela Assal of Bronx, NY, 6-0, 6-2. “This was my first
(pro) match of the summer, so it was good to get the feel again. I set simple
patterns and I just need to execute those patterns a little better the rest of
qualies,” said Broderick, who thrilled the home crowd two years ago by winning
the three matches needed to qualify for main draw.
Earlier, two-time Kentucky state high school champ Samantha
Maddox fell to Nicole Robinson, a high school junior from West Palm Beach, FL,
6-3, 6-2.
Buchanan was well aware he’d lost to Cox at No. 2 on these
same courts two years ago when the Buckeyes and Cats squared off in a border
state rivalry match. “That’s the first time I’ve beaten Brad,” said Buchanan,
who was a little sharper on both forcing and passing shots.
Buchanan will play his senior year for an OSU team he
thinks will be top three, and then go pro. “I need to win more easy points on
my serve and I can improve my movement for the next level,” he said.
He’s already had a good taste of the pro life as a member
of the USTA Summer Collegiate Team for three years. “It’s great…traveling with
the same guys, hanging out together and supporting each other,” Buchanan said.
Unfortunately, Buchanan (8) or squad member Austin Krajicek
(3) will be on the sidelines after Monday. A member of Texas A&M’s NCAA
doubles champions, Krajicek ousted fellow “teammate” Sekou Bangoura of the
Florida Gators, 6-3, 6-3.
