LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 16 Kentucky earned its fifth-consecutive victory Wednesday with a 7-0 shutout of Butler at UK?s Boone Tennis Complex. The Cats chalk up their seventh shutout of the season and improve to 11-4.

Junior Jesse Witten, who moved up seven spots to No. 8 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) men?s singles rankings, turned in his 10th-consecutive victory at the No. 1 slot, defeating Butler?s Kevin Gill by a 6-2, 6-2 count. Freshman Jason Mallaiah got back on the winning track, claiming a 6-4, 7-5 win at No. 2 over Brandon Gill after suffering a pair of weekend losses. Sophomore Alex Hume made a productive return to the singles lineup, scoring a straight-set victory over Butler?s James Low.

Junior Tigran Martirosyan scored his sixth-consecutive victory and senior Rahim Esmail notched his fourth straight win.

Kentucky returns to conference play Friday when the Cats head south for a pair of weekend battles against Auburn and Alabama.

No. 16 Kentucky 7, Butler 0

Doubles
1. Gill/Gill (BU) def. Austin/Hume (UK) ? 9-7
2. Emge/Martirosyan (UK) def. Bartish/Low (BU) ? 8-4
3. Allinder/Mallaiah (UK) def. Bordow/Weaver (BU) ? 8-4

Singles
1. No. 8 Jesse Witten (UK) def. Kevin Gill (BU) ? 6-2, 6-2
2. Jason Mallaiah (UK) def. Brandon Gill (BU) ? 6-4, 7-5
3. Alex Hume (UK) def. James Low (BU) ? 6-1, 6-2
4. Evan Austin (UK) def. Andy Bartish (BU) ? 7-6, 6-4
5. Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Mike Weaver (BU) ? 6-2, 6-2
6. No. 61 Tigran Martirosyan (UK) def. Evan West (BU) ? 6-2, 6-1