Former MTSU tennis star Niemeyer just missed spot at Wimbledon

MTSU Dispatch • June 20, 2008 Former MTSU All-American Fred Niemeyer fell one step short of reaching the main draw at The Championships at Wimbledon, falling in four sets to South Africa's Izak Van der Merwe Thursday in the third and final round of the qualifying tournament. Van der Merwe won the match, 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, over Niemeyer for one of the eight qualifying spots in the 128-man main draw. Niemeyer has played in The Championships at Wimbledon three previous times, once in singles in 2003, a year in which he made it through the three-round qualifying tournament, and in doubles in 2005 and 2006. The Magog, Quebec, Canada, native defeated 17th-ranked and 22nd-seeded Felix Mantilla in the first round of the main draw in 2003, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (3). Niemeyer lost in the second round to Wesley Moodie. Niemeyer was a... [read full story]