TULSA, Okla. ? Junior Bruno Agostinelli of the University of Kentucky men?s tennis team added another defeat of a top-five opponent to his career ledger when he defeated Ohio State?s Steven Moneke, the second-ranked player in the nation, in three sets 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 Thursday.
Both players had hoped to meet in the main draw second round at the All-American Championships held in Tulsa, Okla., this week. Unfortunately, the two were paired up in a first round consolation match, after each lost earlier in the day. Ranked 44th in the nation, Agostinelli lost to Cory Parr of Wake Forest (No. 46) in a hard-fought, three-set struggle 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to create the match-up with Moneke.
Their match Thursday was the second time in eight months that the two have battled across the net. On February 12, Agostinelli upset then top-ranked Moneke on his home court in Columbus over three sets.
The junior faces Rice?s Christoph Mueller in a second round consolation match Friday. UK men?s tennis head coach Dennis Emery is encouraged by Agostinelli?s play.
?Bruno has worked very hard on his conditioning as well as his game,? said Emery. ?That hard work paid off in this win. It is a good start to what we hope is a big year for him.”
Three other Cats were in action earlier in the week playing the qualifying tournament. Senior Will Ward (No. 90) secured a first-round win over North Carolina?s Stefan Hardy (No. 107) 6-4, 6-1 Monday. Ward fell to an SEC opponent in his second-round match, losing to Bram Ten Berge of Ole Miss 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
After winning three straight matches in the pre-qualifying tournament, UK freshman Brad Cox faced a dubious challenge in eighth-seeded Nick Cavaday of North Carolina State. In the first round of the qualifying tournament, Cavaday (No. 55) defeated Cox in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
Kentucky senior captain Marcus Sundh also faced a seeded player in the first round. Sundh fell to 16th-seeded Dominic Inglot (No. 65) of Virginia 7-6, 6-2. In the consolation singles, Sundh took the first set from Charlotte?s Roy Sichel (No. 62) but lost the second set and the tiebreaker 3-6, 6-3, 1-0.
The UK doubles team lost a tight-match in the first round of the qualifying tournament. The Wildcat doubles tandem of Sundh and Ward fell in a tiebreaker, 9-8 (6), to Middle Tennessee State?s Richard and Rocafort.
UK is home to two tournaments in October. The Cats host the Fluitt Invitational Oct. 13-15 at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, followed the next week by the ITA Southeast Indoor Championships Oct. 19-22.
The Wildcats have three players participating in the Georgia Tech Invitational this weekend, in addition to Agostinelli?s remaining matches in Tulsa.
Follow the action from Tulsa and Atlanta with results and recaps on ukathletics.com.
