Feb. 22, 2003
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the second time in as many days, the University of Kentucky men’s tennis team took on an SEC opponent in the consolation bracket of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championship. But unlike Friday, the Wildcats finished on the short end Saturday, falling to No. 5 Ole Miss, 4-1.
Kentucky began the match by capturing the doubles point for the second consecutive match. At No. 2, UK’s Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten knocked off Ole Miss’s Paul Ciorascu and Catalin Gard, 8-4. The Rebels then fought back as Alex Hartman and Claes Lindholm defeated Karim Benmansour and Matt Emery at No. 1, 8-5. The Wildcats then clinched the doubles point as Evan Austin and Alex Hume outlasted the Rebels’ Karim Alayli and Patrick Churci at No. 3 by an 8-6 count.
However, at singles, it was all Ole Miss. At No. 1, Alex Hartman defeated Jesse Witten by a 6-2, 6-3 count to notch the first point for the Rebels. At No. 2, Catalin Gard followed suit with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Evan Austin. Paul Ciorascu downed Karim Benmansour at No. 3, 6-4, 6-3, and Patrick Churci wrapped up the Rebel victory with a 7-5, 6-3 victory at No. 5 over Matt Emery.
Kentucky finishes its stint in the National Indoors with a 1-2 record. Stanford blanked the Wildcats 4-0 Thursday but UK came back to defeat Georgia 4-2 in consolation play Friday. The National Indoors will conclude with Florida and Illinois doing battle in the championship match Sunday at 1 p.m at the Louisville Tennis Club.
The Wildcats will return to competition next Friday, Feb. 28 when they take on Tennessee. Match time is 6 p.m. at the Boone Tennis Center on the UK campus.
AGATE:
Doubles1. No. 40 Alex Hartman/Claes Lindholm (UM) def. Karim Benmansour/Matt Emery (UK) 8-52. No. 41 Rahim Esmail/Jesse Witten (UK) def. Paul Ciorascu/Catalin Gard (UM) 8-43. Evan Austin/Alex Hume (UK) def. Karim Alayli/Patrick Churci (UM) 8-6
Singles
1. No. 24 Alex Hartman (UM) def. No. 4 Jesse Witten (UK) 6-2, 6-32. No. 34 Catalin Gard (UM) def. No. 100 Evan Austin (UK) 6-0, 6-43. No. 18 Paul Ciorascu (UM) def.. No. 73 Karim Benmansour (UK) 6-4, 6-34. No. 91 Rahim Esmail (UK) vs. Claes Lindholm (UM) - susp.5. Patrick Churci (UM) def. Matt Emery (UK) 7-5, 6-36. Karim Alayli (UM) vs. Alex Hume (UK) - susp.
