LEXINGTON, Ky.? The University of Kentucky?s men?s tennis team opened the first round of competition in the Wilson ITA Southeast Regional Tournament with a strong showing Friday. Kentucky is hosting the event at the UK Boone Tennis Center, Gold?s Gym and the Lexington Tennis Club.
In the qualifying round of action, sophomore Greg Anderson began with a two-set victory over Bethune Cookman?s Jerome Ward, 6-2, 6-2. Sophomore Kyle Virgin used a 6-0, 6-1 defeat of Birmingham Southern?s John Freeman to open play. Freshman Brian Dredge also advanced to the main draw of competition with a straight-set win over Austin Peay?s Andrew Solarski 6-1, 6-2. Sophomore Shane Collins dropped a thrilling three-set heartbreaker to the Rolling Tide?s Taylor Striplin 7-6, 3-6, 7-5.
Kentucky?s singles players posted four wins in the opening round of the main draw. The tournament?s No. 13 ranked player, sophomore Bruno Agostinelli advanced with a straight set 7-6(5), 5-3, win over Alabama?s Saketh Myneni.
Junior Marcus Sundh, playing in his first action of the fall season, needed only two sets to move on to the round of 64 with 6-3, 6-4 toppling of Tennessee-Chattanooga?s qualifier Razvan Axente. Fellow junior-transfer, Will Ward playing in his first fall action as a Wildcat registered a 6-5, 7-6 win over SEC-foe Mississippi State?s Artem Kuznetsov.
Wrapping up the wins for UK was senior-transfer Peter Bjork. Bjork handed Miami?s J.C. Whitner a 6-1, 6-2 loss to advance to the next round of play.
Kentucky?s three qualifiers all fell in their first round of main draw competition. Anderson lost to Alabama?s Billy Mertz, 6-0, 6-2. Dredge dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision to Vanderbilt?s Evan Dufaux. Morehead State?s Adam Storti beat Virgin 6-1, 6-2.
In doubles action Kentucky put four teams into action. The duo of underclassman Anderson and Dredge fell to Florida?s Jordan Dolberg and Billy Mulligan, 8-2. Collins and freshman Alex Lambropoulos dropped an 8-5 match to Memphis? Benedikt Fischer and Amrit Narasimhan.
The duo of Agostinelli and Ward downed North Flordia?s Elad Gabay and Ben Smith 8-4. Bjork and Sundh were the other doubles team in action, their results were not available at the time of release.
Kentucky resumes action in the ITA Tournament beginning tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. EST.
Qualifying Results
Anderson (UK) def. Ward (BC), 6-2, 6-2
Virgin (UK) def. Freeman (BS), 6-0, 6-1
Dredge (UK) def. Solarski (AP) 6-1, 6-2
Striplin (UA) def. Collins (UK) 7-6, 3-6, 7-5
First Round Singles Main Draw
Agostinelli (UK) def. Myneni (UA) 7-6(5), 5-3
Sundh (UK) def. Axente (TC) 6-3, 6-4
Ward (UK) def. Kuznetsov (MSU) 6-5, 7-6
Bjork (UK) def. Whitner (Mia) 6-1, 6-2
Mertz (UA) def. Anderson (UK) 6-0, 6-2
Evan Dufaux (VU) def. Dredge (UK) 6-2, 6-3
Storti (Mor) def. Virgin (UK) 6-1, 6-2
First Round Doubles
Dolberg/Mulligan (UF) def. Anderson/Dredge (UK) 8-2
Fischer/Narasimhan (Mem) def. Collins/Lambropoulos (UK) 8-5
Agostinelli/Ward (UK) def. Gabay/Smith (UNF) 8-6
