Sept. 27, 2002
Friday’s Results
Ranked Flight
‘A’ Flight Bracket (PDF)
‘B’ Flight Bracket (PDF)
Six of the seven members of the Kentucky men’s tennis team competed today at the Charles Fluitt Invitational at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Senior Elliott Datlow and sophomore Jesse Witten scored victories on the first day of competition.
Playing in the Ranked Flight, Witten, the preseason #1 player in the country, had little trouble in his first match of the day, a 6-2, 6-3 decision over #54 Cody Conley from Louisville. In his second match, Witten faced #10 Daniel Klemetz from Middle Tennessee. After dropping the first set 6-2 and trailing 4-2 in the second, Witten held serve twice and broke Klemetz’s serve twice to take the second set 6-4. Witten was just too strong in the third set, as he took the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Datlow, playing in the ‘B’ Flight, won his match in less than an hour over Eastern Kentucky’s Brian Stephenson, 6-0, 6-2.
Also competing for the Cats today in the Ranked Flight was junior Rahim Esmail, who lost his only match of the day, a 7-6(5), 6-4 setback to Vanderbilt’s Matthew Lockin. Junior Karim Benmansour, ranked #36, was upset by #67 Catalin Gard of Mississippi. Junior Matt Emery dropped his first match to Mississippi’s Claes Lindholm and lost again that evening to Cody Conley.
Sophomore Evan Austin, ranked #65 in the country, had two thrilling matches with top 20 players. He first faced Klemetz and after winning the first set 6-4, was unable to put him away and fell 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4. His second match also went to three sets, this time against #19 Alex Hartman from Ole Miss. This time he fell in the first set 6-4 but bounced back to take the second in a tiebreaker. But he wasn’t enough in the third as Hartman took the match 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-2
The only Wildcat who didn’t compete today was freshman Alex Hume, who received a bye in the first round of the ‘B’ Flight and will compete twice tomorrow along with the rest of the Cats.
Saturday’s Schedule of UK Players
*9:00 a.m. – Boone Indoor
Alex Hume (UK) vs. Sebastian Aspillaga (UL)
Elliott Datlow (UK) vs. Tomi Simola (MSU)
*Not before 11:00 a.m. – Boone Outdoor
Alex Hartman (UM) vs. Rahim Esmail (UK)
Jesse Witten (UK) vs. Paulo Ciorascu (UM)
Bobby Reynolds (VU) vs. Karim Benmansour (UK)
Evan Austin (UK) vs. Chad Harris (VU)
*Following – Boone Outdoor
Matt Emery (UK) vs. Maxim Belski (UA)
*Not before 2:00 p.m. – Boone Indoor
Hume & Datlow – ‘B’ Flight 3rd round matches
*Not before 5:00 p.m. – Boone Outdoor
Evan Austin (UK) vs. Scott Brown (VU)
Catalin Gard (UM) vs. Rahim Esmail (UK)
Karim Benmansour (UK) vs. Paulo Ciorascu (UM)
*Following – Boone Outdoor
Matt Emery (UK) vs. Matthew Lockin (VU)
Jesse Witten (UK) vs. Maxim Belski (UA)
