COLLEGE GROVE, Tenn. – Seven members of the Kentucky men’s tennis team competed at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships this past weekend. The tournament was held at the Farm & Forge Club in College Grove, Tenn.

On the first day of competition, freshman Isaac Forde played Louisville’s Artem Dmytrenko in the qualifying round of 64. The London native fell to Dmytrenko in a three-set battle. Dmytrenko claimed the opening set 6-4, but Forde came back strong, winning the next set 6-0. In a highly contested fight in the third, Dmytrenko defeated Forde 7-5.

Six Wildcats competed in the main draw for men’s singles, including top-seeded Eli Stephenson and No. 3 seed Jack Loutit who both made it to the quarterfinals. Stephenson claimed each of his three wins in two straight sets, taking down Dayton’s Mikkel Zinder, 6-4, 7-6(9), Middle Tennessee State’s Birtan Duran, 6-4, 6-4, and East Tennessee State’s Oscar Martinez, 6-4, 6-2. In the quarterfinals, the Kentucky native fell to Purdue’s No. 5 seed Nour Fathalla, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Senior Jack Loutit took down Tennessee’s Shion Itsusaki in three sets, 4-6. 6-3, 6-4. In the round of 32, Loutit automatically advanced due to a walkover. The New Zealand native propelled himself to the quarterfinals after besting Sam Scherer of Indiana, 6-4, 6-3. In a three-set thriller, Middle Tennessee State’s Aryan Saleh defeated Loutit, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

Elon transfer Rafael Ymer claimed a singles victory, besting Austin Peay State’s Ari Allouche in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Ymer did not advance past the round of 32 after falling to No. 11 seed Jose Garcia of Tennessee, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Tom Sickenberger competed in the main draw as well, falling 6-3, 6-2 to Indiana’s Aryan Badlani.

No. 7 seed Oscar Lien nabbed two singles wins, defeating Indiana’s Ariel Zauber, 6-2, 6-1 in the opening round and Matei Daniel Stan of Lipscomb, 6-2, 6-1. The freshman ultimately fell to Purdue’s Lorenzo Balducci in the round of 16, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (9).

Sophomore Mikael Arseneault, the tournament’s No. 6 seed, took home two singles victories. In the round of 64, Arseneault took down Middle Tennessee’s Antoine Mayoral, 6-3, 6-3. In the following match, the Ontario native claimed victory over Kai Cowcher of East Tennessee State, 6-2, 6-1. Arseneault’s run was cut short by Dayton’s Kyle McNally, 6-3, 6-4.

Kentucky had two doubles teams compete this weekend, with both earning multiple wins. The team of Eli Stephenson and Mikael Arseneault was a No. 2 seed while Rafael Ymer and Oscar Lien were selected as a No. 11 seed. Stephenson and Arseneault advanced to the round of 16 after defeating Eastern Kentucky’s Will Roberts and Jacquyn Colalancia, 8-1, and Southern Indiana’s Eduardo Trovo and Adam Koon, 8-3. Eventually, the duo fell to Louisville’s No. 13 seed Hamza El Amine and Lucas Bazin, 8-6.

The team of Ymer and Lien went the furthest for the Wildcats, making it all the way to the semifinals. In the round of 64, Kentucky took down IU-Indy’s Konner Gunwall and Owen Nguyen, 8-5. In the following match against Lipscomb’s Matei Daniel Stan and Oliver Thoeny, the Wildcat duo claimed a dominant 8-2 win. In the round of 16, Ymer and Lien soared past the top-seeded duo from Indiana, Sam Landau and Braeden Gelletich, winning 8-1. Faced with No. 8 Seed Nour Fathalla and Lorenzo Balducci of Purdue in the quarterfinals, the Wildcat team earned the 8-6 win and advanced to the semifinals. Dayton’s Sturle Hoff Skigelstrand and Mikkel Zinder brought Ymer and Lien’s run to an end, defeating them 3-6, 7-6(7), 10-5.

The Wildcats will be back in action on Oct. 19-24, when they travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to compete in the ITA M15 Ithaca Tournament.

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