No. 8 Kentucky Rallies for 4-3 Win Against Memphis
LEXINGTON, Ky. – With only six players available, the eighth-ranked Kentucky men’s tennis team delivered a clutch, come-from-behind singles performance to knock off Memphis, 4-3, at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Singles wins from Charlelie Cosnet, Martin Breysach, Eric Crivei, and Matt Rankin pushed the Cats to victory and maintained their perfect 5-0 record at home this season.
With Jack Loutit on Davis Cup duty and Antoine Ghibaudo at the Cleveland Challenger, the shorthanded Wildcats rallied from circumstance and a constant scoreboard deficit to pick up the win on Thursday in a match lasting over four hours. In fact, it was a pair of Wildcat who had not been in the lineup since opening day that delivered when their team needed them most.
With Memphis leading 3-2 when the fifth and sixth singles matches were called to the court, Rankin and Crivei delivered outstanding performances in must-win situations. Crivei, a freshman from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada dominated from start to finish in only his second career dual appearance. Going up a early break in both sets, the rookie closed out the match like a veteran to even the match at three with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Rankin, a sophomore from Edinburgh, Scotland, had to battle his way through a tight first set, going into a tiebreak after an early break advantage. The Scot dominated the decider and carried the momentum into the second frame where he would win by a double break advantage and clinch the dual victory for the Cats, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
The Cats singles push was aided in the first flight by a pair of Frenchmen, as No, 79 Charlelie Cosnet and Martin Breysach each picked up straight set victories to keep Kentucky in the dual.
It was Cosnet who was the first singles player to wrap up, taking down 2024 AAC Player of the Year Pablo Alemany in a pair to tight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Moments later, No, 39 Jaden Weekes would drop a second set tiebreak to Conor Gannon that allowed Memphis to retake the lead.
Eli Stephenson was able to battle into a third set against Moritz Kudernatsch, but the sophomore from Louisville suffered his first loss of the dual season—and only the second of his collegiate career—6-4, 1-6, 6-3. With the Tigers one point away from victory, Breysach would close out the opening flight mere seconds later as he pulled out a pair of tiebreak sets to take down Michael Kouame 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), setting up the heroics from Rankin and Crivei.
In doubles, Crivei and Cosnet teamed up to earn their first career win as a pair, but it was not enough to push the Cats across the line. Today’s match was only the second time Kentucky dropped the doubles point and the first time it rallied for a win after such an occurrence.
The Wildcats will return to the court this Sunday, hitting the road for the Battle of the Bluegrass. The Cats will take on Louisville on Sunday, February 2 at Noon ET at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center, looking to extend upon their perfect 29-0 record in the series.
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
No. 8 Kentucky vs. Memphis
Doubles Results
- Gannon/Reeve (MEM) def. Breysach/Weekes (UK) 6-2
- Alemany/Kouame (MEM) def. Stephenson/Rankin (UK) 6-4
- Crivei/Cosnet(UK) def. Sandoval Carvalho/Kudernatsch (MEM) 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles Results
- Conor Gannon (MEM) def. No. 39 Jaden Weekes (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (2)
- No. 79 Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Pablo Alemany (MEM) 6-3, 7-6 (5)
- Moritz Kudernatsch (MEM) def. Eli Stephenson (UK) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
- Martin Breysach (UK) def. Michael Kouame (MEM) 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1)
- Matt Rankin (UK) def. Sam Reeve (MEM) 7-6 (2), 6-3
- Eric Crivei (UK) def. Luis Sandoval Carvalho (MEM) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 5
