April 9, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keeping up with its winning ways, the 11th-ranked University of Kentucky men’s tennis team claimed a convincing 5-2 Southeastern Conference road win at No. 51 LSU on Friday.
Kentucky (19-7, 6-3 SEC) has now won three consecutive matches and seven of its last eight altogether. The win also marked the third straight time that UK has won a road contest.
“This is a very good win for us,” head coach Dennis Emery said. “LSU is one of the toughest places to win in our conference year in and year out. Our No. 2 doubles team played great tonight to help us clinch doubles and that really was a huge key in the match.”
UK used a great performance in doubles to grab an early lead in the match, getting wins at the No. 2 doubles position from senior Alex Lambropoulos and junior Alberto Gonzalez and No. 3 doubles position from sophomore Alex Musialek and freshman Anthony Rossi. After Musialek and Rossi claimed an 8-5 decision over David Roberts and Roger Anderson to even the doubles play at one match a piece, Lambropoulos and Gonzalez battled to extra frames with Mark Bowtell and Stefan Szacinski, posting 9-7 win. The win for Lambropoulos and Gonzalez clinched the doubles point for UK, giving the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish.
In singles, the Wildcats got wins from sophomores
Eric Quigley, Graeme Dyce and Alex Musialek, and junior Alberto Gonzalez to win the match. After junior Brad Cox, playing at No. 3 singles, lost a hard-fought battle to Sebastian Carlsson 6-4, 6-2 to start singles action, Kentucky claimed three straight singles matches. Musialek gave UK a 2-1 overall lead with a dominating 6-2, 6-3 win over Bowtell at No. 2 singles, followed by Quigley’s victory at No. 1 singles over No. 34 Neal Skupski 7-6, 6-2. Quigley, a native of Pewee Valley, Ky., dominated Skupski in the second set for an impressive straight-sets victory over a top-40 player.
“Quigley played a great tiebreaker to win the first set to help give us some space in the match. After Musialek and Quigley closed their matches, Alberto Gonzalez really dug deep against a very good player, who had been playing great, to clinch the match for us,” Emery said.
With Kentucky only needing one more point to win the match, Gonzalez posted a brilliant come-from-behind effort to give UK the win at No. 5 singles. The native of Bradenton, Fla., Gonzalez fell behind early in the match, losing the first set 6-2 but responded with great tennis in the final two sets to claim the 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.
Dyce and freshman Anthony Rossi wrapped up the scoring for Kentucky with Dyce claiming a 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) straight-sets victory over James Tubervill. Dyce posted a gusty win in both sets, claiming both sets in extra frames. Rossi retired in the third set, falling to Julien Gauthier 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-1 retired.
The Wildcats return to action Sunday, traveling to No. 59 Arkansas. The match will being at 12 p.m. ET with live stats available on ukathletics.com.
#11 Kentucky 5, #51 LSU 2
April 9, 2010
Baton Rouge, La.
W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium
Singles
1. #13 Eric Quigley (UK) def. #34 Neal Skupski (LSU) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
2. #44 Alex Musialek (UK) def. Mark Bowtell (LSU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Sebastian Carlsson (LSU) def. Brad Cox (UK) 6-4, 6-2
4. Julien Gauthier (LSU) def. Anthony Rossi (UK) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 1-1, retired
5. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) def. Stefan Szacinski (LSU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
6. Graeme Dyce (UK) def. James Turbervill (LSU) 7-5, 7-6 (8-6)
Doubles
1. Sebastian Carlsson/Neal Skupski (LSU) def. #13 Eric Quigley/Brad Cox (UK) 8-5
2. Alex Lambropoulos/Alberto Gonzalez (UK) def. Mark Bowtell/Stefan Szacinski (LSU) 9-7
3. Alex Musialek/Anthony Rossi (UK) def. David Roberts/Roger Anderson (LSU) 8-5
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,2,1,5,4,6)
