Kentucky Exits NCAA Tournament After 4-2 Loss to Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.  – The Kentucky men’s tennis team gave No. 1 Wake Forest a battle but ultimately fell, 4-2, at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. UK will finish the dual season with a 15-13 record, while WFU improves to 29-2 overall.

“Today was a tough college match and the boys competed hard,” head coach Cedric Kauffmann said. “We had some opportunities on all courts except No. 2. Wake Forest played well in some clutch moments, credit to them. Only top five teams can do that at the level we were playing. We as a program hav to do a better job through the season not to get shipped to the top-four teams in the country for the second round. This was the level of an elite eight match. I’m proud of the coaches, the staff and the players.”

Wake Forest began the match by taking the doubles point. Court three was the first to finish, as Trey Yates and Gus Benson fell, 6-2, to Petros Chrysochos and Dennis Uspensky. WFU clinched the doubles point when the No. 4 duo of Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim defeated No. 33 Enzo Wallart and Beck Pennington, 6-2. Will Bushamuka and Nils Ellefsen were close to picking up a win at 5-3 when play was called.

Wake Forest took a 2-0 lead when No. 66 Ryo Matsumura fell to No. 45 Borna Gojo, 6-2, 6-0. Matsumura will finish the dual season at 11-10.

Kentucky punched back with two huge victories to tie the match at two. Enzo Wallart earned his 12th win of the season with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Alan Gadjiev to cut the Wake Forest advantage in half. 

Shortly after the Wallart win, No. 17 Bushamuka picked up a top-five win to even the match. The Princeton, New Jersey native beat No. 5 Petros Chrysochos, 6-4, 6-4 for his 14th win of the season. Bushamuka now has a team-best seven wins over ranked opponents, including three top-10 victories.

Wake Forest clinched the victory with two singles wins on courts four and three. Nils Ellefsen fell to No. 84 Christian Seraphim, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to give the Demon Deacons a 3-2 lead. Wake Forest clinched the win when Beck Pennington fell, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to No. 13 Skander Mansouri. 

No. 106 Trey Yates was locked in a battle with Dennis Uspensky when play was called at 4-6, 5-6. 

Kentucky will finish the dual season with an 88-52 record in singles play, with 13 of those wins coming over ranked opponents. 

Bushamuka will be back in action in a couple weeks in the NCAA Singles Tournament in Athens, Georgia on May 24-29.

1. #17 Will Bushamuka (UK) def. #5 Petros Chrysochos (WF) 6-4, 6-4

2. #45 Borna Gojo (WF) def. #66 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) 6-2, 6-0

3. #13 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. Beck Pennington (UK) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

4. #84 Christian Seraphim (WF) def. Nils Ellefsen (UK) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

5. Dennis Uspensky (WF) vs. #106 Trey Yates (UK) 6-4, 6-5, unfinished

6. Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Alan Gadjiev (WF) 6-4, 6-3

1. #4 Skander Mansouri/Christian Seraphim (WF) def. #33 Enzo Wallart/Beck Pennington (UK) 6-2

2. Borna Gojo/Alan Gadjiev (WF) vs. Will Bushamuka/Nils Ellefsen (UK) 3-5, unfinished

3. Petros Chrysochos/Dennis Uspensky (WF) def. Trey Yates/Gus Benson (UK) 6-2

Kentucky 15-13; National ranking #32

Wake Forest 29-2; National ranking #1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (2,6,1,4,3)

For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter or Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team on Facebook.