April 6, 2003

LEXINGTON, Ky. – On a cool, breezy day at UK’s Boone Tennis Complex, neither the elements, nor the Auburn Tigers, were enough to stop the 13th-ranked Kentucky men’s tennis team. The Cats avenged two 2002 defeats with a 4-2 victory over the 19th-ranked Tigers.

After dropping a doubles match at number one, Kentucky would rally to win at numbers two and three to secure the doubles point. Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten tallied their sixth consecutive doubles contest with an 8-5 win at No. 2 over Tom George and Markus Schiller. At No. 3, Evan Austin and Alex Hume came from behind to force a tiebreaker, then put away Gabor Zoltan Pelva and Rodrigo Minozzo, 9-8 (3).

Auburn quickly evened things up, as 17th-ranked Rameez Junaid knocked off UK’s Witten, 6-3, 6-3. UK would bounce back when sophomore Evan Austin posted a 7-6, 6-2 victory over Andy Columbo to give Kentucky a 2-1 lead. UK’s Hume would be tested by Auburn’s George at No. 6, but Kentucky’s stellar freshman prevailed, dumping George in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5.

At No. 2, the Tigers’ Zoltan Pelva rallied from one set behind to defeat the Wildcats’ Karim Benmansour, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. After rain forced the remaining two matches inside, Kentucky’s Matt Emery wasted little time clinching the match for the Cats, dispatching AU’s Schiller by a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 count. The remaining match at No. 4 was suspended.

With the win, Kentucky improves to 16-9 overall and 6-4 in the SEC, while Auburn drops to 13-7 and 4-6. The Cats will now prepare for their final road match of the regular season, a date this Friday afternoon with 10th-ranked Vanderbilt.

AGATE:

Doubles1. Rameez Junaid/Andy Columbo (AU) def. Karim Benmansour/Matt Emery (UK) 8-52. Rahim Esmail/Jesse Witten (UK) def. Tom George/Markus Schiller (AU) 8-53. Evan Austin/Alex Hume (UK) def. Gabor Zoltan Pelva/Rodrigo Minozzo (AU) 9-8(3)

Singles1. No. 17 Rameez Junaid (AU) def. No.13 Jesse Witten (UK)   6-3, 6-32. Gabor Zoltan Pelva (AU) def. No. 65 Karim Benmansour (UK)   6-7, 6-4, 6-23. Evan Austin (UK) def. Andy Columbo (AU)   7-6, 6-24. No. 113 Rahim Esmail (UK) vs. Andre Boz (AU)   6-7, 6-4, 4-3, susp.5. Matt Emery (UK) def. Markus Schiller (AU)   6-3, 5-7, 6-36. Alex Hume (UK) def. Tom George (AU)   7-6, 7-5