The 18th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team made its weekend trip to the Sunshine State a productive excursion as the Cats turned in a 7-0 shutout of Florida Gulf Coast University Sunday afternoon in Ft. Myers, Fla. Kentucky improves to 5-2 on the season after playing its first outdoor match in dual-match play.

Native South Floridians Evan Austin and Jesse Witten contributed to doubles victories at the one and two positions, respectively, while also scoring straight-set singles victories. Austin, a junior from Barron Collier H.S. in Naples, teamed up with sophomore Alex Hume for an 8-2 victory at No. 1 doubles over Franco Mata and Richard Stempnowski before tallying a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 2 singles over Nestor Nunez. Witten, a two-time state singles champion from Naples’ Lely H.S., claimed an 8-4 doubles victory at No. 2 alongside UK senior Rahim Esmail. Witten added a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over Stempnowski.

Esmail, Hume, sophomore Nate Emge and junior Tigran Martirosyan added singles victories for the final 7-0 margin. The Cats hit the road once again next weekend when they face fifth-ranked Baylor on Sunday, Feb. 22 in Waco, Texas.

Kentucky 7, Florida Gulf Coast 0

Doubles
Austin/Hume (UK) def. Mata/Stempnowski (FGCU) ? 8-2
Esmail/Witten (UK) def. Fogelman/Gutierrez (FGCU) ? 8-4
Gutierrez/Pinther (FGCU) def. Emge/Martirosyan (UK) ? 8-6

Singles
Jesse Witten (UK) def. Richard Stempnowski (FGCU) ? 6-3, 6-3
Evan Austin (UK) def. Nestor Nunez (FGCU) ? 6-4, 6-2
Tigran Martirosyan (UK) def. Alberto Gutierrez (FGCU) ? 6-1, 6-4
Nate Emge (UK) def. Franco Mata (FGCU) ? 6-3, 6-4
Alex Hume (UK) def. Yuri Mantilla (FGCU) ? 7-6, 6-4
Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Seth Fogelman (FGCU) ? 6-4, 6-4