LEXINGTON, Ky. ? The No. 47 University of Kentucky men?s tennis team lost its non-conference match-up with No. 16 Tennessee 6-1 at the Boone Tennis Center Monday in a match that was much closer than the score indicates.
The Volunteers started their momentum by winning the doubles point. The No. 21 team of Bruno Agostinelli and Brad Cox fell 8-4 in its match against Tennessee?s Kaden Hensel and J.P. Smith. Shortly thereafter, the Volunteer tandem of Davey Sandgren and Boris Conkic defeated UK?s senior pair of Marcus Sundh and Will Ward 8-5 to clinch the point.
Kentucky bounced back to battle in the top four singles slots, with three of the matches going to a third set. However, three second-set tiebreakers in the top-three positions would turn out to be the difference in the match.
Tennessee clinched its second point as Smith defeated Ward 6-3, 7-6(2) in the number two slot with one of the tiebreak wins. The other two Volunteer tiebreakers extended matches at the Nos. 1 and 3 positions to a decisive set.
After battling from behind to take the first set in a tiebreak, Cox lost a tight tiebreaker to Conkic in the second after having a match point opportunity erased by the Volunteer at the No. 3 slot. Conkic used the tiebreak win to gain the advantage in the third set, 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-0.
In the No. 1 slot, UK?s Agostinelli used a break to win the first set 6-4 over Hensel. After a 6-6 tie led to a tiebreaker, Agostinelli came back from 4-2 down to notch the tiebreak up at 6-all. But Hensel came up with the next two points to force a third set which went to the Volunteer in the end 6-4.
In the No. 4 position Sundh went back-and-forth against Sandgren trading 6-4 scores leading to a decisive set. In a third-set tiebreak Sundh had some break point opportunities but Sandgren was able to hold on for the win.
?That was one of the closest 6-1 matches that I have ever seen,? UK head coach Dennis Emery said. ?I don?t think we faltered down the stretch, I think Tennessee was able to raise its game to win. They were able to step up and take a very hard-fought match.?
Highlights of the match will be broadcast on the Tennis Channel show ?Inside Tennis with the Koz? later this spring.
The Cats host No. 3 Ohio State Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET at the Lexington Tennis Club. Later in the day the team will return to campus to battle Murray State in the second half of a double-header at 6 p.m. ET at Boone.
Follow all of the action on the courts via UKathletics.com.
No. 16 Tennessee 6, No. 47 Kentucky 1
Doubles
1. Kaden Hensel/J.P. Smith (UT) def. #21 Bruno Agostinelli/Brad Cox (UK) 8-4
2. Boris Conkic/Davey Sandgren (UT) def. Marcus Sundh/Will Ward (UK) 8-5
3. Matteo Fago/Jeremy Tweedt (UT) vs. Will Beck/Shane Collins (UK) 4-7, dnf
Singles
1. Kaden Hensel (UT) def. #31 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4
2. #93 J.P. Smith (UT) def. Will Ward (UK) 6-3, 7-6(1)
3. #28 Boris Conkic (UT) def. Brad Cox (UK) 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-0
4. Davey Sandgren (UT) def. Marcus Sundh (UK) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6
5. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) def. Matteo Fago (UT) 1-6, 7-5, 10-6
6. Chris Racz (UT) def. Will Beck (UK) 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: D1, D2, S2, S4, S3, S1, S5, S6
