UK Wraps Up FGCU Collegiate Open
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s tennis team concluded the Florida Gulf Coast Collegiate Open on Sunday, picking up seven singles wins in total on the weekend to go with a doubles win in its third event of the young fall season.
“We will take some positives from this weekend,” assistant coach Matt Gordon said. “We are still not where we need to be, but the good thing is that we’re seeing consistent improvement week in and out due to the work they are putting in on the practice court. Kevin (Huempfner) and Fabi (Penzkofer) picked up a couple of good wins and showed a lot of heart throughout the weekend. It was the first time the guys experienced a dual-match-type format, which was a good experience for the upcoming season.”
The Wildcats teamed up for a trio of singles wins on the first day of action against host FGCU. Huempfner – a freshman — won comfortably in two sets, 6-4, 6-2, while classmates Penzkofer and Arthur Chen took both of their victories over the duration of three sets. Penzkofer claimed the first set 6-3, before dropping the second set 2-6 but rebounding nicely, saving match point and taking the third set with a commanding 6-2 win. Chen dropped the first before storming back in the final two frames, taking both 6-4.
The Wildcats lone doubles win came on Saturday against Memphis in a 7-6 victory in addition to Huempfner’s second triumph of the weekend – this time a three-set, 5-7, 7-3, 7-6, battle with the Tigers’ Jan Pallares.
Sunday saw another three singles wins. Huempfner nabbed his third while Penzkofer took his second of the weekend, both in two sets over Illinois. Eastern Kentucky junior transfer Parth Aggarwal picked up a win over FCGU’s Nicolas Tibaudin in a swift two sets, 6-2, 6-4.
UK will be back in action at the CCB Collegiate Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama, on Nov. 2-4.
Tournament Results
Friday Arkansas/Kentucky (7) def. FGCU (2)
Doubles Felipe Ramirez/Felisksas Sakalauskas (FGCU) def. Huempfner/Penzkofer, 6-4
Nicolas Tibaudin/Felipe Escobar (FGCU) def. Aggarwal/Chen, 6-4
Singles Marcelo Tebet (FGCU) def. Aggarwal, 6-4, 6-3
Huempfner def. Felipe Ramirez (FGCU), 6-4, 6-2
Penzkofer def. Ezequuil Cerrini (FGCU), 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Chen def. Nicolas Tibaudin (FGCU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Saturday Memphis (5) def. Arkansas/Kentucky (4)
Doubles Huempfner/Penzkofer def. Patrick Sydow/Chris Patzanovsky (UM), 7-6
Jeremy Taylor/Marshall Sullivan (UM) def. Aggarwal/Chen, 6-2
Singles Huempfner def. Jan Pallares (UM), 5-7, 7-3, 7-6
Jeremy Taylor (UM) def. Penzkofer, 6-1, 6-3
David Stevenson (UM) def. Aggarwal, 7-5, 6-4
Marshall Sullivan (UM) def. Chen, 6-3, 6-2
Sunday Illinois/Louisville vs. Arkansas/Kentucky
Doubles Fabien Salle/Fredrik Moe (UofL) def. Huempfner/Penzkofer, 6-3
Alex Wesbrooks/Clement Filho (UofL) def. Aggarwal/Chen, 7-5
Singles Huempfner def. Vuk Budic (UI), 7-5, 6-1
Penzkofer def. Gui Gomes (UI), 6-4, 6-4
Aggarwal def. Nicolas Tibaudin (FGCU), 6-2, 6-4
Follow along with the Cats on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
