Sept. 19, 2002

Three members of the Kentucky men’s tennis team open their fall tournament schedule in Murfreesboro, Tenn., as they travel to compete in the 2002 Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational this weekend, Sept. 20-22. Eighty-seven players from 19 institutions will play in singles and doubles competition. The Southeastern Conference will be represented by players from Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Competing for the Cats at the tournament will be juniors Rahim Esmail and Matt Emery and newcomer Alex Hume. Esmail received a bye in the first round of his bracket and will compete at 1 p.m ET on Friday. Emery joins Esmail in the Flight A1 Singles bracket and will play at 10:30 a.m. ET. Hume plays his first UK match at 10:30 a.m. ET. Friday in the Flight B Singles bracket. Esmail and Emery also team up to play in the Flight One Doubles bracket on Saturday.

Esmail led UK last season with a 37-13 record which included a stretch of 17 straight wins. Emery was plagued by injury much of the year and finished with a 12-10 singles record. Hume, a freshman from Alexandria, Va., begins his collegiate career after going 60-6 in his four years at Episcopal High School.

-UK-