May 12, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The ninth-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team grabbed a tough 4-3 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second-round of the NCAA Championships on Sunday, May 12. The thrilling victory sends the Cats, the seventh-seed of the tournament, to the “Sweet Sixteen” at Texas A&M University, May 18-21.
Kentucky grabbed a 1-0 lead after capturing the doubles point with a strong 9-7 victory from Gustav Pousette and Johan Grunditz at No. 2. Vanderbilt’s 26th-ranked duo of Bobby Reynolds and Lewis Smith took the win at No. 1, before UK’s Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten divided the point with an 8-3 victory on the third court.
In singles action, the Wildcats and the Commodores found alternating victories with the deciding match-up at No. 6. Vanderbilt evened the score, 1-1, with a straight-set victory over Grunditz at No. 4 before Evan Austin dominated the third court for a 6-4,6-3 victory over VU’s Zach Dailey. At the No. 2 spot, Vanderbilt’s 99th-ranked Chad Harris defeated No. 61 Karim Benmansour in consecutive sets.
The final three victories all came in three sets with two Wildcats, Pousette and Rahim Esmail, fighting back to claim victories after dropping the opening set, 6-4. Pousette gave Kentucky a 3-2 lead after two emotionally powered sets over Josh Tarkoff for the 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory. On the first court, sixth-ranked Jesse Witten grabbed a first set win over No. 16 Bobby Reynolds before dropping the final two and locking the score at 3-3. On the final court, Esmail had split sets with VU’s Lewis Smith. With a score of 2-2 in the third set and with all of his teammates cheering him on, Esmail dominated the remainder of the set for a 6-3 victory to place the Cats among the top-16 programs in collegiate tennis.
“This is an unbelievable feeling right now,” Esmail said. “This was such a tremendous victory for our team today that only keeps our intensity rising. I just can’t wait to get to Texas and to start competing among the other top teams.”
The Cats continue its bid for an NCAA title with action in the “Sweet Sixteen” beginning on Saturday, May 18 in College Station, Texas. Kentucky will face the Duke Blue Devils, with their last meeting coming in the 1999 NCAA Round of 16 with a Blue Devil victory. Like this year, Kentucky also served as host for the tournament’s opening rounds in 1999.
AGATE:
Singles
No. 1#16 Bobby Reynolds (VU) def. #6 Jesse Witten (UK)4-6,6-4,6-3
No. 2#99 Chad Harris (VU) def. #61 Karim Benmansour (UK)6-2,6-2
No. 3Evan Austin (UK) def. Zach Dailey (VU)6-4,6-3
No. 4Scott Brown (VU) def. # 97 Johan Grunditz (UK)6-1,6-1
No. 5#92 Gustav Pousette (UK) def. Josh Tarkoff (VU)4-6,6-2,6-1
No. 6Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Lewis Smith (VU)4-6,6-4,6-3
Doubles
No. 1#26 Reynolds/Smith (VU) def. #49 Austin/Benmansour (UK) 8-4
No. 2Grunditz/Pousette (UK) def. Brown/Harris (VU) 9-7
No. 3Esmail/Witten (UK) def. Dailey/Tarkoff (VU) 8-3
