No. 17 Kentucky Falls in Nail-Biter Against Vanderbilt
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It
looked like Kentucky’s Ryotaro Matsumura would pull off yet another incredible
comeback to clinch once again, but the freshman and the Wildcats fell short on
Friday evening in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Vanderbilt at the Hilary J.
Boone Tennis Center.
The scenario was
all too familiar, as the deciding match came down to Matsumura on the second
court. Again, the Japan native found himself in a hole, this time 5-1, and
again he forged an impressive comeback. The freshman phenom climbed back to
take a 6-5 lead, before Vanderbilt’s Rhys Johnson tied the match and earned the
tiebreaker win for a decisive 7-6 third set.
Kentucky falls to
11-4 on the season and 3-2 in Southeastern Conference matches. Vanderbilt improves
to 10-8 and 1-2 in league play.
Kentucky shook up
the doubles lineup again, still looking for the right adjustment and found some
success. While the team dropped the point, the matchups looked closer than they
had been before. Matsumura paired with senior Kevin Lai on the third court,
falling 6-2 before sophomore classmates William Bushamuka and Gus Benson closed
out the competition on the second court, 6-3. Junior Nils Ellefsen and freshman
Enzo Wallart played to a 6-6 tie before falling in the match, with the team
slipping to a 1-0 deficit.
Kentucky wasted no
time regaining the lead. Sophomore Jake Stefanik joined the singles lineup in
the bottom court, cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 victory to knot the match, 1-1.
Kentucky regained the lead courtesy of classmate Trey Yates, who stifled the
Commodores’ Kriss Yee, 6-2, 6-2, for a 2-1 team lead.
Ellefsen fell in
straight sets on the third court before Bushamuka pushed UK ahead once again.
Another strong showing from the Princeton, New Jersey, native guided UK to a
3-2 lead with the 6-3, 6-4 win over Daniel Valent.
Wallart was in the
midst of his second set, trailing 3-0, when he was forced to retire due to
injury. Matsumura’s defeat on the second court locked in the win for
Vanderbilt.
FINAL – No. 17 Kentucky 3, No. 68 Vanderbilt
Singles
(Order of Finish: 6, 5, 3, 1, 4, 2)
1. #23 William Bushamuka (UK) def. Daniel Valent (VANDY)
6-3, 6-4
2. Rhys Johnson (VANDY) def. #108 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK)
4-6, 6-4, 7-6
3. Cameron Klinger (VANDY) def. Nils Ellefsen (UK) 7-5, 6-3
4. Baker Newman (VANDY) def. Enzo Wallart (UK) 7-6, 3-0,
retired
5. Trey Yates (UK) def. Kris Yee (VANDY) 6-2, 6-2
6. Jake Stefanik (UK) def. Alex Ross (VANDY) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles (Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1)
1. Rhys
Johnson/Cameron Klinger (VANDY) def. Enzo Wallart/Nils Ellefsen (UK) 7-6
2. William
Bushamuka/Gus Benson (UK) def. Daniel Valent/Pen Binet (VANDY) 6-3
3. Baker
Newman/Tate Allwardt (VANDY) def. Ryotaro Matsumura/Kevin Lai (UK) 6-2
For more information on the Kentucky men’s
tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter or Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team on Facebook.
