FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? After jumping out to an early lead, the No. 55 University of Kentucky men?s tennis team could not hold off a determined Arkansas squad Sunday afternoon in Fayetteville, Ark. The Cats won the doubles point and the first singles match but the No. 69 Razorbacks rallied for the 4-2 victory.
Kentucky performed well early, sweeping the doubles point. At No. 1 doubles, junior Bruno Agostinelli and freshman Brad Cox rolled over Arkansas? Blake Strode and Colin Mascall 8-3. UK?s senior tandem of Will Ward and Marcus Sundh continued their strong play this season with a 8-2 drubbing of Razorbacks Taylor King and Tyler Tarnasky in the No. 2 slot. Junior Shane Collins and freshman Will Beck secured the sweep for the Wildcats beating the Arkansas pairing Dmitry Lebedev and Matt Hogan 8-6.
?We came out well in doubles,? UK head coach Dennis Emery said. ?I think it was the best doubles play we have had all year.?
In singles, Ward finished off his match at the No. 2 spot quickly over Mascall, winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. The win gave UK a 2-0 early advantage.
The Cats? held first set game leads in singles matches at positions three and six but the young team could not hold on. Cox held a 5-2 advantage but lost the match momentum as Hogan rallied to win a first set in a tiebreak and continued to roll in the second set, 7-6(8), 6-0. Beck also led 5-2 over Razorback Bradwin Williams in the No. 6 spot but faltered in a first set tiebreak and the second set 7-6(5), 6-3.
No. 56 Agostinelli, was upset by formerly ranked Strode 7-5, 6-4 at No. 1. Freshman Alberto Gonzalez fell in two sets at No. 5 to Lebedev 6-3, 6-4. Sundh dropped the first set to Razorback Chris Nott in the No. 4 slot but rallied to win the second set in a tiebreaker to force a third set that was suspended after Arkansas claimed its fourth point.
?We lost our good momentum from winning doubles,? Emery said. ?Arkansas competed well and was able to take it away from us.?
The Cats fall to 1-3 in the SEC and 6-8 overall. The Razorbacks improve to 2-2 in the conference and 9-6 on the season.
The Cats return home for an extended 12-day break before traveling to Alabama on Friday Mar. 21.
#69 Arkansas 4, # 55 Kentucky 2
Singles
1. Blake Strode (UA) def. #56 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) 7-5, 6-4
2. Will Ward (UK) def. Colin Mascall (UA) 6-2, 6-2
3. Matt Hogan (UA) def. Brad Cox (UK) 7-6(8), 6-0
4. Marcus Sundh (UK) led Chris Nott (UA) 2-6, 7-6(3), 3-1
5. Dmitry Lebedev (UA) def. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) 6-3, 6-4
6. Bradwin Williams (UA) def. Will Beck (UK) 7-6(5), 6-3
Doubles
1. Bruno Agostinelli/Brad Cox (UK) def. Blake Strode/Colin Mascall (UA) 8-3
2. Will Ward/Marcus Sundh (UK) def. Taylor King/Tyler Tarnasky (UA) 8-2
3. Will Beck/Shane Collins (UK) def. Dmitry Lebedev/Matt Hogan (UA) 8-6
