No. 18 Kentucky Returns to SEC Play Against South Carolina, Georgia
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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Coming off a pair of wins on Tuesday, No. 18 Kentucky will return to Southeastern Conference play on Friday afternoon to begin its weekend slate.
Kentucky kicks off the weekend playing host to South Carolina tomorrow, Friday, March 25, with the match set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center. Kentucky will then travel Saturday before facing off against league-leader Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Last time out, despite an undermanned corps, the Wildcats pulled off the upset, 4-3, against No. 10 Illinois before rolling past Morehead State, 4-0, at home Tuesday afternoon. The first match came down to the fourth court, where freshman Austin Hussey was tied with the Illini’s Julian Childers in the third set, 5-5. Hussey remained cool and collected, with the Wildcat contingent dogpiling their teammate as he took the set and match, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
Kentucky enters the weekend as the 18th-ranked team in the country, with a 13-4 record on the season and a 3-2 mark in SEC play. They boast the No. 27 player in the country in sophomore William Bushamuka. The Princeton, N.J., native plays the top court in singles for the Cats, including seven wins over ranked opponents and three top-15 victories this season.
South Carolina enters Friday as ranked No. 65, with a 9-9 record while going 1-3 in SEC play. The Gamecocks’ lone ranked player is Gabriel Friedrich, who places No. 93 in the country. No. 11 Georgia enters Sunday with a 10-3 record and an unblemished 4-0 SEC mark. The Bulldogs have three ranked singles players in No. 34 Wayne Montgomery, No. 35 Austin Smith and No. 120 Walker Duncan. Georgia also has two ranked pairs, with Ben Wagland and Austin Smith coming in at No. 4, while Paul Oosterbaan and Jan Zielinski rank 58th.
UK athletics marketing, in conjunction with the men’s and women’s tennis programs, is excited to announce the launch of The Wildcat Advantage, Kentucky’s new tennis fan club. Members can accumulate points to trade in and receive prizes by signing in at matches they attend for both the men’s and women’s teams. Members will also be signed up for an email group to receive reminders of upcoming tennis matches. Members of The Wildcat Advantage can earn a point by signing in at each tennis match and can earn additional points for signing friends up for the club. Prizes include The Wildcat Advantage t-shirts, Papa John’s pizza coupons, and exclusive tennis experiences throughout the season.
For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter or Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team on Facebook.
