March 21, 2003

The 10th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team was no match for sixth-ranked Ole Miss Friday, falling to the Rebels by a 7-0 count at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center in Oxford, Miss. The loss drops the Cats’ record to 11-7 and 3-2 in the SEC.

In doubles play, UK’s Jesse Witten and Rahim Esmail salvaged a 9-8 tiebreaker victory at No. 2, though the win came after Ole Miss (12-2, 4-1) had already clinched the doubles point by winning at numbers three and one.

In singles action, Kentucky lost all but two sets in dropping all six matches.

The Cats will look to rebound Sunday when they visit Starkville, Miss. to take on Mississippi State.

AGATE:

Doubles1.Alex Hartman/Claes Lindholm (UM) def. Karim Benmansour/Matt Emery (UK)9-72.Rahim Esmail/Jesse Witten (UK) def. Catalin Gard/Karim Alayli (UM)9-8(5)3.Paul Ciorascu/Patrick Chucri (UM) def. Evan Austin/Alex Hume (UK)8-2

Singles1.Alex Hartman (UM) def. Jesse Witten (UK) - 6-2, 6-7(5), 1-0(3)2.Catalin Gard (UM) def. Evan Austin (UK) - 6-4, 6-03.Paul Ciorascu (UM) def. Karim Benmansour (UK) - 6-2, 6-44.Claes Lindholm (UM) def. Matt Emery (UK) - 6-2, 6-15.Karim Alayli (UM) def. Rahim Esmail (UK) - 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (12)6.Patrick Chucri (UM) def. Alex Hume (UK) - 6-2, 6-2