Feb. 6, 2015

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky men’s tennis team lost 7-0 to the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday night at the Atkins Tennis Center on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Friday night’s 7-0 result marked the first time that Kentucky has lost a match 7-0 since Feb. 5, 2011 when UK fell top-ranked Virginia in Charlottesville.

Four singles matches made it to third and decisive sets, with Illinois claiming all four of those third sets, in addition to the doubles point, and the two straight-sets single matches.

The Fighting Illini won the doubles point with wins on courts two and three, both 6-3 results. On court two, it was Jerry Lopez and William Bushamuka who suffered the loss, while Nils Ellefsen and Trey Yates took the loss on the third court. On court one, Illinois’ No. 3 Tim Kopinski/Ross Guingon had a 5-3 lead over UK’s pairing of Beck Pennington and Kevin Lai at the time of stoppage.

After the doubles point was clinched, the Fighting Illini got wins on courts one, five, and then six to seal the match over Kentucky. All the remaining matches would be played out, with Illinois winning all of them in third sets.

UK’s closest point was on court two, which was the final court that finished up. UK’s Jerry Lopez was looking for his second win this season over a ranked opponent, but fell in a third-set tiebreaker to fall 6-2, 6-7, 7-6.

Kentucky will be back in action on Feb. 14 with a doubleheader against Northern Kentucky and Morehead State at the Boone Tennis Center. The first match against NKU will start at 1 p.m. ET with the nightcap serving at 5 p.m. ET.

Agate

No. 5 Illinois 7, No. 27 Kentucky 0

Atkins Tennis Center

Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Doubles: (Order of finish: 3, 2)

1- No. 3 Ross Guignon/Tom Kopinski (ILL) led Beck Penninton/Kevin Lai (UK) 5-3 (DNF)

2- Jared Hiltzik/Farris Gosea (ILL) def. William Bushamuka/Jerry Lopez (UK) 6-3

3- Brian Page/Blake Bazarnick (ILL) def. Nils Ellefsen/Trey Yates (UK) 6-3

Singles: (Order of finish: 1, 5, 4*, 6, 3, 2)

1- No. 31 Jared Hiltzik (ILL) def. Beck Pennington (UK) 6-4, 6-4

2- No. 62 Aaron Hiltzik (ILL) def. Jerry Lopez (UK) 6-2, 6-7, 7-6

3- No. 40 Tom Kopinski (ILL) def. William Bushamuka (UK) 7-6, 3-6, 6-2

4- No. 44 Aleks Vukic (ILL) def. Kevin Lai (UK) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

5- Toshiki Matsuya (ILL) def. Trey Yates (UK) 7-6, 6-3

6- Blake Bazarnick (ILL) def. Nils Ellefsen (UK) 7-6, 6-7, 0-6

For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow “UKMensTennis” on Twitter or “University of Kentucky men’s tennis team” on Facebook.