Men’s Tennis Upended by Dartmouth, Will Face Virginia Tech on Sunday
NEW YORK – After earning the doubles point and winning its first two singles matches for a 3-0 lead, Kentucky (3-2) fell to Dartmouth (3-0) in the opening round of ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Saturday morning at Dick Savitt Tennis Center.
“I thought we did a great job in doubles today,” said assistant coach Matthew Gordon. “We’ve been working hard on it and today showed that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day in singles. Credit to Dartmouth for competing well and grabbing the momentum. Our inexperience showed today.”
Freshmen Fabian Penzkofer and Kevin Huempfner were the first doubles partners to emerge victorious (6-3), followed by Kento Yamada and Ryo Matsumura (6-4). Kentucky carried that energy into singles play, as Matsumura (6-2, 6-2) and Yamada (6-2, 6-1) pushed the Wildcats to a 3-0 advantage.
However, circumstances shifted in Dartmouth’s favor for the remainder of the competition. Theo McDonald dropped a 6-4, 7-5 decision on court four, followed by a 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 loss for Cesar Bourgois on court three.
Once Huempfner fell 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) on court six, the match came down to senior co-captain Enzo Wallart’s matchup on court two. The Windermere, Fla. native ultimately lost by a 6-4, 7-5 final.
“Tough loss for the team,” said Bourgois. “It came down to a couple of little things. We need to make sure that everybody on the team does their job in order to fix them. We will have to bounce back tomorrow against a good team. We’re looking forward to competing again and giving everything we’ve got to come home with a win.”
With the loss, Kentucky moves on to Sunday’s consolation match versus Virginia Tech (2-1), who lost to host No. 14 Columbia 4-0 after the conclusion of Saturday’s first contest. The Wildcats defeated the Hokies 4-0 in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
“The guys are disappointed, but now it’s all about how we react (Sunday),” Gordon said. “It will be a very tough test and we need to respond in the right way.”
Kentucky is set to take on Virginia Tech on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, live on ESPN+.
Singles
- Ryo Matsumura (UK) def. No. 27 Charlie Broom (DC) 6-2, 6-2
- Dan Martin (DC) def. Enzo Wallart (UK) 6-4, 7-5
- David Horneffer (DC) def. Cesar Bourgois (UK) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
- Peter Conklin (DC) def. Theo McDonald (UK) 6-4, 7-5
- Kento Yamada (UK) def. Casey Ross (DC) 6-2, 6-1
- Sid Chari (DC) def. Kevin Huempfner (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles
- Cesar Bourgois/Enzo Wallart (UK) vs. David Horneffer/Charlie Broom (DC) 5-6, unfinished
- Kento Yamada/Ryo Matsumura (UK) def. Casey Ross/Peter Conklin (DC) 6-4
- Fabian Penzkofer/Kevin Huempfner (UK) def. Pierce Widdecombe/Dan Martin (DC) 6-3
For the latest on Kentucky men’s tennis, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter and @KentuckyMensTennis on Instagram, and follow the team on the web at UKAthletics.com.
