Quigley wins Weldon singles title

By JOHN VERSER
Glasgow Daily Times

GLASGOW June 30, 2008 04:32 pm

— Eric Quigley made his first trip to the W.A. Weldon Open Tennis Tournament a memorable one.
Quigley, the four-time Kentucky state high school tennis champion at South Oldham High School, won the singles title in straight sets over last year’s winner, former University of Tennessee standout Bobby Cameron, and teamed with veteran Rich Benson to make the finals of the WCLU-Jim Moody Doubles Classic before falling in three sets to Cameron and the University of Kentucky’s Bruno Agostinelli.
For Quigley, a UK signee, it was a good ending to a long day.
“It was tiring. I was going on adrenaline,” Quigley said. “Yesterday I had to play four matches. I got a good night’s sleep and came out and played well, just like I did against Bruno.
“I expended a lot of energy, but my doubles partner pumped me up a little bit. We played well. It’s not bad for our second time playing together. It was pretty exciting.”
Quigley opened up the day with a morning match against Cameron. The UK signee said his serve and forehand was the key to his 6-3, 6-4 win in the singles title match.
“I try to base my whole game around my forehand,” Quigley said. “I noticed in the beginning he kind of played my backhand. He watched my match yesterday. I was playing well and got everything set around my forehand, which helped a lot.”
Quigley entered the tournament as the number three seed. In his final two matches of the tournament, he knocked off Agostinelli, the second seed, and ended with the win over Cameron, the top seed and reigning champ.
Quigley and Benson, a four-time Moody Doubles Classic champion, jumped out ealy with a 6-2 win in the first set of doubles play.
Cameron and Agostinelli evened things up with a 6-3 win in the second set to force a winner-take-all third set. They jumped out to a 4-1 lead and topped Quigley and Benson 6-4 to claim the doubles crown.
Agostinelli said a change in strategy helped he and his partner take the third set and the match.
“Rich is a really good returner,” Agostinelli said. “We did some I formations and some body serves and tried to throw them off a little bit.”
The Weldon Tennis Association also held an event for kids prior to the start of the tournament on Friday.
The first Weldon tournament was played in 1928, started by its founder, Dr. W. A. Weldon. He built the town’s first tennis courts. The tournament has been played every year since then, except for a period during World War II.
“It’s a great city, a great tournament and great housing,” Quigley said. “Everything about it is great.”

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