March 14, 2010
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. –
The sixth-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision to No. 2 Tennessee Sunday at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
The setback was Kentucky’s second loss of the weekend, dropping its record to 11-6, 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference. The Wildcats lost 4-3 at No. 9 Georgia on Friday. The pair of losses snapped UK’s four-match win streak. Tennessee improves to 15-1, 4-0 in league play.
The Wildcats claimed their lone point of the afternoon when sophomore Alex Musialek (Dax, France) was awarded his match at No. 2 singles after No. 32 Boris Conkic retired in the third set with the score at 7-6, 0-6, 2-2. Musialek is ranked at No. 37 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings.
Musialek’s win marked one of three singles matches that went to three sets. Kentucky also battled at No. 3 singles where Tennessee’s Rhyne Williams, ranked No. 51, held off UK junior Brad Cox (Duluth, Ga.) 6-4, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3. Kentucky freshman Anthony Rossi (Martigues, France) grabbed the first set against UT’s Tennys Sandgren 3-6 at No. 4 singles, but dropped the next two sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Eighth-ranked Eric Quigley lost to fourth-ranked John-Patrick Smith 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1 singles.
“In singles play, we were able to push three matches into third sets, but just could not get over the hump at courts three and four,” head coach Dennis Emery said. “It was a great win for Musialek. It was unfortunate that Conkic started cramping, because the level of play was very high on that court.”
Kentucky lost a hard-fought doubles point to Tennessee to start the match. The two squads split matches at Nos. 2 and 3 doubles before the second-ranked Volunteers duo of John-Patrick Smith and Davey Sandgren defeated UK’s 15th-ranked tandem of Brad Cox and Eric Quigley (Pewee Valley, Ky.) 9-8 (7-2) at No. 1 doubles. “Tennessee was too good for us today,” Emery said.
“We had some break points at No. 1 doubles which would have given us the doubles point and put them in a hole. J.P Smith just came up with some great serves on those points.”
The Wildcats play a pair of matches on the road this weekend, traveling to Miami (Fla.) on Friday for a 1 p.m. contest and Auburn on Sunday for a 1 p.m. affair. For complete coverage of UK men’s tennis log on to UKathletics.com.
AGATE
No. 2 Tennessee 6, No. 6 Kentucky 1
Singles
1. #4 John-Patrick Smith (UT) def. #8 Eric Quigley (UK) 6-3, 6-1
2. #37 Alex Musialek (UK) def. #32 Boris Conkic (UT) 7-6, 0-6, 2-2, retired
3. #51 Rhyne Williams (UT) def. Brad Cox (UK) 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
4. Tennys Sandgren (UT) def. Anthony Rossi (UK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
5. #88 Matt Brewer (UT) def. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) 7-5, 6-4
6. Matteo Fago (UT) def. Graeme Dyce (UK) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
1. #2 John-Patrick Smith/Davey Sandgren (UT) def. #15 Brad Cox/Eric Quigley (UK) 9-8 (7-2)
2. #5 Boris Conkic/Rhyne Williams (UT) def. Alberto Gonzalez/Alex Lambropoulos (UK) 8-2
3. Anthony Rossi/Alex Musialek (UK) def. Matteo Fago/Edward Jones (UT) 9-7
Order of finish:
Doubles (2, 3, 1); Singles (1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6)
