No. 23 Kentucky Hosts Alabama on Senior Day

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 23 Kentucky men’s tennis team will host its annual senior day on Sunday when UK faces Alabama. Play is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the Boone Tennis Complex. Kentucky will honor the team’s two seniors, Beck Pennington and Nils Ellefsen before the match begins.

The Cats earned two wins last weekend over ranked opponents. Kentucky started the week with a 4-3 win on the road over Vanderbilt, before upsetting No. 12 Florida at home, 4-1, on Saturday to improve to 14-8 overall and 5-4 in the Southeastern Conference. Will Bushamuka earned the highest ranked win of the season, defeating No. 7 Alfredo Perez, 7-5, 6-0. In doubles, No. 27 duo of Beck Pennington and Enzo Wallart earned a top-10 win as well, defeating Alfredo Perez and Johannes Ingildsen, 7-6 (4-4). Nils Ellefsen earned the clincher for the Cats with a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win over Johannes Ingildsen. 

Alabama is 9-14 overall and 1-8 in the SEC and will face Vanderbilt before traveling to Lexington on Sunday. The Crimson Tide went 1-2 last weekend, losing their two SEC matches to Florida and South Carolina before shutting out Jackson State, 4-0. 

The Crimson Tide has two singles players – No. 31 Mazen Osama and No. 117 Thibault Cancel – ranked in the latest ITA national rankings. In doubles, Osama teams up with Spencer Richey for a No. 38 national ranking.

Kentucky has two singles and two doubles duos ranked in the latest ITA rankings, while the squad sits at No. 23. Bushamuka is the highest ranked player for the Cats at No. 16, while Ryo Matsumura is No. 38. In doubles, Pennington and Wallart come in at No. 32 while Bushamuka and Pennington are ranked for the first time this season at No. 84.

After Alabama, Kentucky will end the regular season on the road. UK will travel to Arkansas Friday, April 14 at 7 p.m. ET and Ole Miss Sunday, April 16 at 2 p.m. ET.

For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter or Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team on Facebook.