UK's Eric Quigley returns a shot in his NCAA finals loss today to defending champion Steve Johnson of Southern Cal.(AP photo)
Eric Quigley’s NCAA run came to an end Monday one win short of the national title.
The Kentucky senior fell 6-4, 6-4 to defending champion Steve Johnson of Southern Cal in the NCAA tennis men’s singles final in Athens.
Johnson, the tournament’s No. 1 seed who has won 72 straight singles matches, broke the third-seeded Quigley’s serve once in each of the two sets to win his second straight title. Johnson broke to take a 5-4 lead in the first set, then broke to grab a 4-3 lead in the second set.
Quigley dropped to 54-8 on the season and 172-47 in his stellar Kentucky career. The former Oldham County star was just the third UK player ever to reach the NCAA singles final, following Jesse Witten in 2000 and Carlos Drada in 2002. Both lost in the finals.
