The 19th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats played until late in the night as the Cats got their 2000 spring season underway in fine fashion on Wednesday by dispensing of intrastate rivals Eastern Kentucky, 6-1, and Western Kentucky, 5-2, at UK’s Boone Indoor Tennis Center.

UK played EKU in the afternoon, before coming back and taking on WKU at 7 p.m., with the hard-fought match against the Hilltoppers lasting until 12:01 a.m.

Sophomore Reven Stephens led the Cats by winning two matches while playing at the No. 1 position for the first time in his career. Stephens defeated Brad Herrera of EKU and Andrei Makarevitch of WKU, both in straight sets. Stephens also won his doubles match against EKU, playing with freshman Elliott Datlow, 8-2.

“I’m happy that the guys who we needed to win tonight got the job done,” UK Coach Dennis Emery said. “They got some experience against some good players.”

Against the Hilltoppers, the Cats won all their single matches, but dropped two of the doubles matches, earning the Cats five points. In the Cats’ lone doubles victory, Datlow paired up with freshman Dalibor Mahajlovic in the evening, defeating Christian Kaumanns and Wimal Wijanayake of WKU, 8-5.

The Cats return to tournament action next week at the Indiana Indoors, Feb. 3-6, while top player Carlos Drada heads to Dallas, Feb. 2-6, to face the top tennis talents in the nation at the National Individual Indoor Championships.

Kentucky vs. Eastern Kentucky

Singles

1. Reven Stephens, UK def. Brad Herrera, EKU          7-6 (5), 6-12. Jorge Escallon, UK def. Lee Lester, EK             6-2, 6-13. Dalibor Mihajlovic, UK def. Christian Lentz, EKU   6-0, 6-14. Elliott Datlow, UK def. Daniel Dodson, EKU         6-9, 6-15. Samir Yajnik, UK def. Brian Stephenson, EKU        6-2, 6-26. UK defaulted

Doubles

1. Escallon/Mihajlovic, UK def. Herrera/Lentz, EKU    8-22. Stephens/Datlow, UK def. Lester/Dodson             8-23. UK defaulted

Kentucky vs. Western Kentucky

Singles

1. Reven Stephens, UK def. Andrei Makarevitch, WKU   6-4, 6-32. Jorge Escallon, UK def. Michael Lindskog, WKU     6-2, 3-6, 6-43. Dalibor Mihajlovic, UK def. Evalds Jurans, WKU    6-1, 7-6(2)4. Samir Yajnik, UK def. Christian Kaumanns, WKU     7-6(4), 6-35. UK defaulted6. Elliott Datlow, UK def. Wimal Wijanayake, WKU     6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4

Doubles

1. Mihajlovic/Datlow, UK def. Kaumanns/Wijanayake, WKU 8-52. Makarevitch/Jurans, WKU def. Escallon/Yajnik, UK    8-43. UK defaulted