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Effortless Kim defeats Drada 6-1, 6-1 for singles title
Posted: Sunday May 28, 2000 06:00 PM
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) -- Undeterred by a week of oppressive heat, Stanford's Alex Kim overwhelmed Kentucky's Carlos Drada 6-1, 6-1 in the singles final of the NCAA men's tennis championships Sunday. Kim, a junior from Potomac, Md., was seeded fifth. But during the eight-day tournament, he made his victories appear effortless. Illinois' team of Graydon Oliver and Cary Franklin defeated Southern Cal's Ryan Moore and Nick Rainey in the doubles final 6-4, 6-2. giving the Illini their first national collegiate title. As a freshman and sophomore, Kim was the No. 4 player on Stanford's national powerhouse, but a loss to Baylor in the round of 16 aroused him. "It hit me that I had a wonderful opportunity to develop my game," he said. He changed his forehand grip -- developing more top spin -- and it became the cornerstone of his game. "I like to think I can dictate with my forehand," he said. "Overall, holding serve was the difference."
Drada tried to attack Kim's backhand, but his serve was hampered by back spasms. After the sixth game, Drada took a five-minute injury timeout.
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