No. 15 Kentucky Falls to No. 22 Georgia, 4-3
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 15 Kentucky men’s tennis team dropped its first Southeastern Conference match of the season as UK fell to No. 22 Georgia, 4-3, on Sunday at the Boone Tennis Center. Kentucky drops to 10-5 this season and 1-1 in the SEC while UGA improves to 6-5 and 2-0 in the league.
The Bulldogs grabbed the doubles point with two wins in doubles play. The duo of sophomore Ryo Matsumura and junior Trey Yates fell to Wayne Montgomery and Walker Duncan, 6-4. No. 33 senior Beck Pennington and sophomore Enzo Wallart fell, 6-4, to Jan Zielinski and Robert Loeb to clinch the doubles point for UGA.
Kentucky went down 2-0 when Yates wrapped up play with Walker Duncan. Duncan defeated Yates 6-0, 6-4. Pennington and No. 104 Nathan Ponwith were the next to finish, and Ponwith earned a 6-4, 6-4 win to give UGA a 3-0 lead.
UK punched back when No. 35 Bushamuka earned a ranked win. He defeated No. 30 Montgomery, 6-3, 6-4 to give UK its first point of the match.
The Bulldogs clinched the victory when No. 78 senior Nils Ellefsen fell to Jan Zielinski in a hard fought 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 affair.
Even though the match was in hand, the remaining matches were played out. No. 21 Ryo Matsumura earned Kentucky’s second ranked win of the day when he defeated No. 38 Emil Reinberg in a marathon match of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5). Wallart earned a win as the No. 6 singles player when he defeated Robert Loeb 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Kentucky will continue SEC play next week. UK will head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to face LSU on Friday, March 10 at 6 p.m. ET.
Mar 05, 2017 at Lexington, Ky.
(Boone Tennis Center)
#22 Georgia 4, #15 Kentucky 3
Singles competition
1. #35 Will Bushamuka (UK) def. #30 Wayne Montgomery (UGA) 6-3, 6-4
2. #21 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. #38 Emil Reinberg (UGA) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)
3. #104 Nathan Ponwith (UGA) def. Beck Pennington (UK) 6-4, 6-4
4. Jan Zielinski (UGA) def. #78 Nils Ellefsen (UK) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
5. Walker Duncan (UGA) def. Trey Yates (UK) 6-0, 6-4
6. Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Robert Loeb (UGA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Jan Zielinski/Robert Loeb (UGA) def. #33 Beck Pennington/Enzo Wallart (UK) 6-3
2. Will Bushamuka/Nils Ellefsen (UK) vs. Nathan Ponwith/Emil Reinberg (UGA) 3-5, unfinished
3. Wayne Montgomery/Walker Duncan (UGA) def. Ryotaro Matsumura/Trey Yates (UK) 6-4
Match Notes:
Georgia 6-5; National ranking #22
Kentucky 10-5; National ranking #15
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,3,1,4,6,2)