April 12, 2002
The 16th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team concluded its Southeastern Conference regular season with a victory over the 54th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday, April 12. The Cats (17-8, 6-5 SEC) also wrapped up its home season at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex with the 6-1 win over the “Dores” (9-12, 1-10 SEC). Seniors Gustav Pousette and Johan Grunditz ended their home careers with victories in doubles at No. 2 and in singles at No. 4 and No. 5.
Kentucky took the early lead grabbing the doubles point with victories on the second and third courts. Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten grabbed the first victory at No. 3 with an 8-6 win over VU’s Zach Dailey and Josh Tarkoff. The senior tandem of Grunditz and Pousette tallied the opening point with their 8-5 victory, suspending action on the first court.
With solid performances in singles action, the Cats took five straight-set victories. Pousette grabbed the victory over Jens Frederiksen with a 6-0 shutout in the second set, while Grunditz dropped only four games in two sets for his 6-3,6-1 win. On court six, Esmail also tallied a 6-3,6-1 victory, while eighth-ranked Witten topped No. 26 Bobby Reynolds on the first court to give UK a 5-0 lead. Evan Austin dropped a tough match at No. 3 while No. 59 Karim Benmansour overcame a second set deficit to defeat No. 81 Chad Harris and give Kentucky the 6-1 victory.
The Cats finish regular season action with a trip to South Bend, Ind., to face the seventh-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, April 13. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m.
AGATE:
Singles
No. 1#8 Jesse Witten (UK) def. #26 Bobby Reynolds (VU)6-2,6-3
No. 2#59 Karim Benmansour (UK) def. #81 Chad Harris (VU)6-4,6-4
No. 3Zach Dailey (VU) def. Evan Austin (UK)6-4,6-4
No. 4#84 Gustav Pousette (UK) def. Jens Frederiksen (VU)6-2,6-0
No. 5#94 Johan Grunditz (UK) def. Scot Brown (VU)6-3,6-1
No. 6Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Josh Tarkoff (VU)6-3,6-1
Doubles
No. 1Austin/Benmansour (UK) vs. #48 Reynolds/Smith (VU)SUS.
No. 2Grunditz/Pousette (UK) def. Brown/Harris (VU)8-5
No. 3Esmail/Witten (UK) def. Dailey/Tarkoff (VU)8-6
