COLLEGE STATION, Texas — LSU’s Dan Kiernan, the 52nd-ranked men’s tennis player in the nation, will begin play in the 2002 NCAA Singles Championships on Wednesday, as the Tigers’ senior is scheduled to face Illinois’ 12th-ranked Amer Delic in the first round at 10 a.m. here in College Station, Texas.
“Dan has been very focused on reaching this level all season long,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “He’s played extremely well this year to reach this point, and it is a good chance for him to use this opportunity as a springboard for his goal of playing pro. He’s playing a top-notch opponent tomorrow in Delic, but I think that the SEC has prepared him in facing some of the nation’s top players.”
Kiernan, LSU’s All-American from Newcastle, England, finished the 2002 dual-match season with an overall record of 21-16 and with a six-match winning streak. During the stretch run in which the Tigers qualified for their eighth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, Kiernan knocked off five ranked opponents, including 12th-ranked Mario Toledo and 17th-ranked Alex Hartman.
In the regular season matchup between LSU and No. 2 Illinois, Kiernan and Delic were not pitted against each other as Delic outlasted the Tigers’ freshman, Peter Richman, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(4), on court No. 1 and Kiernan dropped Illinois’ Brian Wilson in the No. 2 matchup. Kiernan was the 42nd-ranked singles player in the nation at the time.
Kiernan is making his first appearance in the prestigious field of 64 on Wednesday and will face the Illini’s 12th-ranked Delic at 10 a.m. here at the A&M Tennis Center in College Station, Texas.