WACO, Texas ? Playing in its first outdoor match of the year, the No. 54 University of Kentucky men?s tennis team was held off the scoreboard for the first time this season by No. 11 Baylor University 7-0 Sunday at the Baylor Tennis Center.
Kentucky started the day battling for the doubles point. After losing at No. 3 doubles, the tandem of junior Bruno Agostinelli and freshman Brad Cox served for the match in the No. 1 slot. But the Bears? David Galic and Jordan Rux fought back to take the win and clinch the point for Baylor in extra games at 9-7. UK?s senior duo of Marcus Sundh and Will Ward claimed victory at No. 2 doubles 8-7 in Ward?s return to his former school.
In singles action, the Wildcats pushed the Bears with two matches going to a third-set tiebreak before a decision and a tight two-set battle at No. 1 singles.
UK?s No. 36 Agostinelli pressured Baylor?s No. 17 Lars Poerschke into extra games in both sets with the second going to the Bear in a close tiebreak 7-5, 7-6(5). After losing the first set in a tiebreak, Cox cruised through the second set at No. 3 singles to force Baylor?s No. 57 Galic into a third-set tiebreak but could not come up with a victory, 7-6, 1-6, 1-0(2). Playing in the No. 5 singles slot, freshman Alberto Gonzalez stretched another match to a decisive third-set tiebreak. Gonzalez won the second set in a tiebreak after losing the first set in extra games to force a match tiebreak but also came up just short to Bear Gwen Corches 7-5, 6-7(5), 1-0(6).
?I thought we played well today,? UK coach Dennis Emery said. ?Today was just a matter of Baylor playing the big points better. They have been to the final four the last four years and they have a final four team again this year.?
The Bears? win puts them at 9-2 on the season and extends their home match win streak to 19. Kentucky falls to 5-5 entering conference play this week.
The Wildcats begin SEC play with a pair of home matches Friday against No. 60 South Carolina at 4:00 pm ET followed Sunday with the Cats? contest against No. 14 Florida at 1:00 pm ET at the Boone Tennis Complex.
#11 Baylor 7, #54 Kentucky 0
Singles
1. #17 Lars Poerschke (BU) def. #36 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) 7-5, 7-6 (5)
2. #12 Denes Lukacs (BU) def. #63 Will Ward (UK) 6-3, 6-2
3. #57 David Galic (BU) def. Brad Cox (UK) 7-6, 1-6, 3-2 (2)
4. Dominik Mueller (BU) def. Marcus Sundh (UK) 6-4, 6-3
5. Gwen Corches (BU) def. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-6
6. Jordan Rux (BU) def. Will Beck (UK) 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 4, 3, 5, 1
Doubles
1. David Galic/Jordan Rux (BU) def. Bruno Agostinelli/Brad Cox (UK) 9-7
2. Will Ward/Marcus Sundh (UK) def. Lars Poerschke/Dominik Mueller (BU) 8-7 (3)
3. Denes Lukacs/Gwen Corches (BU) def. Will Beck/Shane Collins (UK) 8-3
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
