The University of Kentucky men’s tennis team lost to the 27th-ranked Notre Dame FightingIrish on Saturday, February 17, as the Wildcats were downed 4-1.

The Cats (5-4, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) lost the doubles point by dropping matches atthe No. 1 and 2 positions. Kentucky’s pair of Reven Stephens and Edo Bawono were overpoweredby Notre Dame’s Casey Smith and Luis Haddock (6-8), while Matt Emery and Gustav Pousettewere also challenged by Brian Farrell and Matt Daly and fell 6-8.

Kentucky started the singles with a victory at No. 1 when Bawono rallied from an intensefirst-set tiebreak loss and defeated Smith, 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-3. Kentucky then went on to suffer losses atthe No. 2-4 positions. Pousette struggled at No. 2 against 88th-ranked Javier Taborga. Emery hada strong first-set tiebreak win over Haddock, 7-6(7), before dropping the final two sets, andStephens struggled at No. 4 falling in straight sets to ND’s Aaron Talarico. The Cats return toaction on Sunday, Feb. 18, when they open SEC play against Alabama. The match is set to beginat 2 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex on the UK campus.

AGATE

SinglesNo. 1 Edo Bawono (UK) def. Casey Smith (ND) 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-3No. 2 Javier Taborga (ND) def. Gustav Pousette (UK) 3-6, 6-7(5)No. 3 Luis Haddock (ND) def. Matt Emery (UK) 7-6 (7), 5-7, 4-6No. 4 Aaron Talarico (ND) def. Reven Stephens (UK) 2-6, 1-6

DoublesNo. 1 Smith/ Haddock (ND) def. Stephens/Bawono (UK) 6-8No. 2 Farrell/Daly (ND) def. Emery/Pousette (UK) 6-8