Ryo Matsumura Defeats Top Five Opponent as No. 22 Kentucky Falls to No. 3 Ohio State
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 22 Kentucky (13-8, 6-3 SEC) men’s tennis team dropped a tight match with No. 3 Ohio State (19-2, 8-0 Big Ten), 4-2, on Wednesday afternoon in the Boone Tennis Center. Ryo Matsumura took down the No. 3 ranked player in the nation during the match.
Ohio State started the match up 1-0 after clinching the doubles point. Although Kentucky fell courts No. 1 and No. 3, the No. 41 ranked doubles duo of Cesar Bourgois and Gus Benson earned another win and improved to 7-4 this season. Bourgois/Benson beat Martin Joyce and JJ Wolf, 6-3.
Kentucky was able to fight back and tie the match at 1-1 when No. 71 Trey Yates defeated Kyle Seelig, 6-3, 6-4. Yates is currently riding a three-match winning streak and is 8-4 as the No. 4 player and 11-5 overall.
UK took a 2-1 advantage after Matsumura defeating another No. 3 ranked player. The Fukui, Japan native beat No. 3 Mikael Torpegaard, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4 in comeback fashion. Matsumura is 15-2 this season and 7-1 against nationally ranked opponents. Matsumura beat No. 3 ranked Nuno Borges of Mississippi State two weeks ago.
The Buckeyes quickly even the match when No. 54 Will Bushamuka dropped a tight match with No. 43 JJ Wolf, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. OSU gained the lead back after No. 115 Enzo Wallart lost to No. 98 John McNally, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ohio State won the match when Austin Hussey fell to No. 123 Martin Joyce, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Kentucky will return to action on Sunday when UK takes on Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.
Tennis Match Results
Ohio State vs Kentucky
Apr 04, 2018 at Lexington, Ky
(Boone Tennis Center)
#3 Ohio State 4, #22 Kentucky 2
Singles competition
1. #26 Ryotaro Matsumura (KENTUCKY) def. #3 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4
2. #43 JJ Wolf (OSU) def. #54 Will Bushamuka (KENTUCKY) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
3. #98 John McNally (OSU) def. #115 Enzo Wallart (KENTUCKY) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
4. #71 Trey Yates (KENTUCKY) def. Kyle Seelig (OSU) 6-3, 6-4
5. #123 Martin Joyce (OSU) def. Austin Hussey (KENTUCKY) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Gus Benson (KENTUCKY) vs. Hunter Tubert (OSU) 3-6, 1-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #41 Cesar Bourgois/Gus Benson (KENTUCKY) def. Martin Joyce/JJ Wolf (OSU) 6-3
2. John McNally/Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) def. Will Bushamuka/Austin Hussey (KENTUCKY) 6-3
3. Hunter Tubert/Matt Mendez (OSU) def. Enzo Wallart/Ryotaro Matsumura (KENTUCKY) 6-4
Match Notes:
Ohio State 18-3; National ranking #3
Kentucky 13-8; National ranking #22
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,1,2,3,5)
