The 10th-ranked University of Kentucky men?s tennis team opens 2004 dual-match play Thursday in a day-night doubleheader against Appalachian State and Morehead State. The Cats had been scheduled to play Appalachian State at noon; that time has since been changed to 1 p.m. UK and MSU will meet at 6 p.m. Each match will be held at UK?s Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Live scoring for each match will be available at www.ukathletics.com.

Kentucky enters the 2004 dual-match season after a strong showing at the SEC Indoors. Newcomer Tigran Martirosyan earned a berth in the tournament semifinals, while the doubles pair of Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten advanced to the quarterfinals. In the SEC Coaches poll released upon conclusion of the Indoors, Kentucky received a No. 3 ranking in what is arguably the nation?s top men?s tennis conference. The Southeastern Conference is the only league in the country with each of its teams featured in the ITA preseason top-75 men?s tennis rankings. Florida and Vanderbilt lead the conference tied at No. 3, Kentucky comes in at No. 10 and Tennessee rounds out the league at number fifty-four.

Kentucky Coach Dennis Emery enters his 22rd season in Lexington with a UK dual-match record of 387-242. Emery welcomes the return of five letter winners from his 2003 squad, including junior Jesse Witten, the 2002 NCAA men?s singles runner-up. Returning junior Evan Austin enters the spring ranked No. 81 by the ITA and Martirosyan, a Loyola Marymount transfer, comes in at No. 58. Penn State-transfer Nate Emge enters the spring at No. 100.

Thursday marks the first of three non-conference doubleheaders during the 2004 UK men?s tennis season.