The 10th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team extended its current win streak to five matches with a 4-3 victory over No. 38 South Carolina and a 4-2 win over the University of the Cumberlands on Friday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
Kentucky had to rally to defeat South Carolina after dropping the doubles point, but won four of the six singles matches. The Wildcats played only six singles matches against the Cumberlands, winning four. UK improves to 16-6 overall and 6-2 in Southeastern Conference action. South Carolina slips to 9-8 overall and 1-6 in league play. The Cumberlands falls to 0-9 on its season.
Freshman Anthony Rossi and sophomore Eric Quigley helped UK rebound from an early 1-0 deficit to South Carolina with a pair of quick straight-sets victories in singles play. Rossi earned a 6-0, 6-2 win over Alexander Kostonov at No. 4 singles. Quigley, ranked No. 13 in the nation, cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 victory against No. 59 Diego Cubas at No. 1 singles.
South Carolina evened the score at 2-2 when South Carolina’s Ivan Machado defeated UK’s sophomore Graeme Dyce 6-2, 6-4 at No. 6 singles.
However, Kentucky regained the advantage when junior Brad Cox defeated Ivan Cressoni in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at No. 3 singles and sealed the victory when junior Alberto Gonzalez registered a 6-4, 6-1 win over Johannes Pulsfort at No. 5 singles.
South Carolina took the point at No. 2 singles when No. 79 Pedro Campos rallied to defeat No. 44 Alex Musialek of Kentucky in a super tiebreaker, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-2.
The Gamecocks took the early 1-0 lead after claiming the doubles point with match wins at Nos. 1 and 2. South Carolina’s No. 66th-ranked duo of Cubas and Campos upset UK’s 13th-ranked doubles tandem of Quigley and Cox 8-4 before the Gamecock duo of Cressoni and Machado outlasted UK’s Gonzalez and Lambropoulos 9-7. Kentucky’s Musialek and posted an 8-3 win over USC’s Kostanov and Pulsfort at No. 3 doubles.
After Kentucky’s victory over South Carolina, the Wildcats turned around and notched a 4-2 win over the University of the Cumberlands at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
UK and the Cumberlands faced off only in singles play. Cox earned Kentucky’s first point at No. 3 singles with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Jerrid Neeley. Dyce followed with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Andrew Hill at No. 4 singles. Wildcat sophomore Chris Leeper (Paducah, Ky.) won easily at No. 5 singles 6-0, 6-0 against Steffan Crowe. Lambropoulos led 6-2, 1-4 against Higor Silva at No. 1 singles before having to withdraw. Quigley registered a 6-0, 6-0 victory over John Hill at No. 6 singles. UK freshman Matt Davis (Gainesville, Fla.) lost to Oscar Panteja at No. 2 singles 6-4, 2-6
, 7-5.
Kentucky plays host to No. 6 Florida (13-2, 6-0 SEC) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Gators knocked off No. 35 Vanderbilt, 7-0 on Friday in Nashville, Tenn.
For complete coverage of UK men’s tennis log on to UKathletics.com.
AGATE
No. 10 Kentucky 4, No. 38 South Carolina 3
Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center Lexington, Ky.
Singles
1. No. 13 Eric Quigley (UK) def. No. 59 Diego Cubas (USC) 6-0, 6-3
2. No. 79 Pedro Campos (USC) def. No. 44 Alex Musialek (UK) 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-2
3. Brad Cox (UK) def. Ivan Cressoni (USC) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
4. Anthony Rossi (UK) def. Alexander Kostanov (USC) 6-0, 6-2
5. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) vs. Johannes Pulsfort (USC) 6-4, 6-1
6. Ivan Machado (USC) def. Graeme Dyce (UK) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
1. Diego Cubas/Pedro Campos (USC) def. Eric Quigley/Brad Cox (UK) 8-4
2. Ivan Cressoni/Ivan Machado (USC) def. Alex Lambropoulos/Alberto Gonzalez (UK) 9-7
3. Alex Musialek/Anthony Rossi (UK) def. Alexander Kostonov/Johannes Pulsfort (USC) 8-3
Order of Finish: Singles: 4, 1, 6, 3, 5, 2; Doubles: 1, 3, 2
—
No. 10 Kentucky 4, The University of the Cumberlands 2
Singles
1. Higor Silva (UC) def. Alex Lambropoulos (UK) 2-6, 4-1, retired
2. Oscar Panteja (UC) def. Matt Davis (UK) def. 6-4, 2-6, 7-5
3. Brad Cox (UK) def. Jerrid Neeley (UC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Graeme Dyce (UK) def. Andrew Hill (UC) 6-0, 6-1
5. Chris Leeper (UK) def. Steffan Crowe (UC) 6-0, 6-0
6. Eric Quigley (UK) def. John Hill (UC) 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: Singles: 3, 4, 5, 1, 6, 2
