March 14, 2013
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s tennis team will complete its four-match road trip this weekend as the 10th-ranked Wildcats will travel to No. 4 Ole Miss on Friday for a 2:00 p.m. ET match in Oxford before completing the weekend at No. 13 Mississippi State at 1:00 p.m. ET in Starkville.
The road trip has been one of the toughest in the conference this season as the Wildcats will have played four matches on the road, all playing teams in the top 40 of the ITA rankings, including three of the four teams ranked inside the top 15.
Kentucky currently sits in a three-way tie for the Southeastern Conference Eastern Divisional lead, sitting with a 2-1 record overall in the conference and a 14-4 record overall. The Wildcats have already played 13 matches against teams ranked in the ITA top 50, with a 9-4 record against those teams this season. The Wildcats four losses this year have all come to teams ranked within the top 40 with a 3-1 mark against teams in the top 10.
The ITA came out with singles and doubles rankings this week as well, and has been the case all year, UK is well represented at the top. Senior Anthony Rossi will enter the weekend as the highest-ranked singles player in the Blue and White as he checks in at No. 31 nationally after suffering just his second loss all season last weekend in Waco. Also suffering just his second loss all season last weekend was junior Tom Jomby, who checks in at No. 32 this week in singles play. Jomby and doubles partner Kevin Lai are ranked No. 23 in doubles nationally, fresh off an upset of the 15th-ranked doubles tandem from Texas A&M on Sunday.
The last time UK visited No. 4 Ole Miss in Oxford back in 2011, the Wildcats knocked off the Rebels, recording Kentucky’s first win in Oxford in over 20 years. Traditionally one of the toughest venues to play in within the SEC, the Rebels are currently at the pinnacle of their 2013 ranking, as they currently sit fourth nationally. The Rebels are the only-remaining SEC team without an inter-conference loss this season. All-time, the Wildcats are 28-25 against Ole Miss.
Kentucky has already faced off against Mississippi State this year, as a month ago the Wildcats took down the Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 of the ITA National Indoor Team Championships. In the 4-0 blanking, the Wildcats took the doubles point with wins on courts one and two before UK swept singles play, clinching the match with wins on courts two (Tom Jomby), six (Kevin Lai), and five (Grant Roberts). The win in Seattle sent the Wildcats to the Elite Eight. All-time, UK is 14-15 versus the Bulldogs in program history.
For continuing coverage of UK men’s tennis, log on to UKathletics.com.
