Kentucky Men’s Tennis Wraps Up Successful First Fall Weekend

Oracle Draw | Cajun Classic Draws | Gator Ranked + 1 Draws
 
MALIBU, Calif. – The Kentucky men’s tennis team spent the weekend at three different tournaments across the country, competing at the Oracle ITA Masters, the John Breaux Cajun Classic and the Gator Ranked +1 Invite.
 
The Wildcats earned nine wins in the three tournaments, including two over ranked players. UK will return to action Oct. 1 – Oct. 9 at the 2017 Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
 
Coach Kauffmann’s Takeaway
 
“The weekend went well overall. We are changing some things from last year and it will take a little while to take effect but the boys are working hard. We’re now looking for consistency from each individual. We had some good wins from a lot of people. We had some tough losses and two or three matches we gave away too easy. We showed a lot of heart from a lot of people but not all and not all the time. We will fix it. We will have six guys this spring that will be six of the toughest players in the country.”
 
Oracle ITA Masters
 
Ninth-ranked Will Bushamuka competed in one of the most prestigious fall tournaments, the Oracle ITA Masters. The ITA Masters is held on the campus of Pepperdine University and the Malibu Racquet Club.  Bushamuka took down Alexandr Cozbinov of UNLV, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the tournament. Bushamuka fell to the Michael Geerts of Arizona State, 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
 
Gator Ranked +1 Invite
 
Three players – Jake Stefanik, Trey Yates and Enzo Wallart – competed in the Gator Ranked +1 Invite. The tournament is held on the campus of the University of Florida with 10 teams represented in the field. University of North Florida, Louisville, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Tulane and Mississippi State as well as Kentucky competed. Any team in attendance was allowed to bring any of their student-athletes ranked inside of the ITA top-125 and for every ranked player they bring they are allowed one additional entry from their team who is not ranked.
 
In singles play, No. 62 Trey Yates was the No. 4 seed in the second singles draw. Yates breezed by Bar Botzer on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the draw, 6-1, 6-1. Yates fell in the quarterfinals to Scott Jones of Tennessee in a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7, 7-5 match. Yates ended up playing two more matches, defeating Lasse Muscheites of North Florida, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 and losing to Timo Stodder of UT, 7-5, 6-1.
 
No. 96 Enzo Wallart was the No. 7 seed in the second singles draw. Wallart retired in the second set against Nico Raouanet of Louisville at 6-4, 6-7 (0).
 
In doubles play, the duo of Wallart and Yates earned a big win over the No. 1 seed in the tournament, No. 29 Louisville duo of Parker Qynn and Christopher Kougoucheff. UK won 8-5 to advance to the quarterfinals before the duo of forced to withdraw.  
 
Jake Stefanik competed in first singles draw. Stefanik lost to No. 28 Gabriel Friedrich of USC, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, 6-3, 6-3 and was pushed into the consolation bracket. Stefanik earned a 7-5, 7-6 win over No. 90 Parker Wynn of Louisville to advance to the semifinals of the consolation side of the tournament. Stefanik fell to No. 46 Christian Seraphim of Wake Forest, 6-1, 7-6 (4) and was eliminated from the tournament. Stefanik played one more match during the weekend, against Ewan Moore of Tulane and lost, 6-2, 6-3.
 
John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic
 
Three players – No. 42 Ryo Matsumura, Gus Benson and Austin Hussey – competed in the John Breaux Cajun Tennis Classic. The tournament is put on by the University of Louisiana.  Lafayette, Louisiana saw representatives from Louisiana, Texas, Texas Tech, LSU, Oklahoma State, Georgia State, South Florida as well as UK.
 
No. 42 Matsumura was the top seed in the flight one singles draw and earned a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Peter Luquet of South Florida to advance to the quarterfinals of the classic. Matsumura fell to Rodrigo Banzer of Texas, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the quarterfinals.
 
Austin Hussey earned a big win over the No. 3 seed in the John Breaux Classic flight one singles, No. 98 Connor Curry of Texas Tech, 6-3, 7-6 (1). Hussey dropped to Andrei Andrukhou of Georgia State, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the next round.
 
In flight two singles, Gus Benson lost to the No. 2 seed of the draw, Jurence Menzoza, 6-2, 7-5 and was moved to the back draw. Benson rattled off three-straight wins to take the consolation bracket crown. Benson beat Nico Sojka of Louisana in the first round, 7-6 (3), 6-0. In the semifinals, he took down Quentin Couland in a hard-fought 7-6 (5), 2-6, 1-0 (8) battle. In the finals, he defeated Agie Moreno of LSU, 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (5).
 
In doubles play, the duo of Hussey and Matsumura was defeated by Theodorou and Dubinski of Oklahoma State, 7-5. UK lost in the back draw as well to Markes/Mee of Texas, 6-3.
 
SINGLES RESULTS
GUS BENSON
Jurence Menzoza (OSU) def. Gus Benson (UK), 6-2, 7-5
Gus Benson (UK) def. Nico Sojka (UL), 7-6 (3), 6-0
Gus Benson (UK) def. Quetin Couland (GSU), 7-6 (5), 2-6. 1-0 (8)
Gus Benson (UK) def. Agaie Moreno (LSU), 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (5)
 
WILL BUSHAMUKA
No. 9 Will Bushamuka (UK) def. Alexandr Cozbinov (UNLV) 6-2, 6-3
Michael Geerts (ASU), 6-4, 6-2 def. No. 9 Will Bushamuka (UK)
 
AUSTIN HUSSEY
Austin Hussey (UK) def. No. 98 Connor Curry (TTU) 6-3, 7-6 (1)
Andrei Andrukhou (GSU) def. Austin Hussey (UK) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
 
RYO MATSUMURA
No. 42 Ryo Matsumura (UK) def. Pierre Luquet (USF) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
Bat Bander (Texas) def. Ryo Matsumura (UK) 6-3, 7-6 (5)

JAKE STEFANIK
No. 28 Gabriel Friedrich (USC) def. Jake Stefanik (UK) 6-3, 6-3
Jake Stefanik (UK) def. No. 90 Parker Wynn (UL) 7-5, 7-6
No. 46 Christian Seraphim (WF) def. Jake Stefanik 6-1, 7-6 (4)
Ewan Moore (Tulane) def. Jake Stefanik 6-2, 6-3
 
TREY YATES
No. 62 Trey Yates (UK) def. Bar Botzer (Wake Forest) 6-1, 6-1
Scott Jones (UT) def. No. 62 Trey Yates (UK), 6-1, 6-7, 7-5
No. 62 Trey Yates (UK) def. Lasse Muscheites (UNF), 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
Timo Stodder (UT) def. No. 62 Trey Yates (UK), 7-5, 6-1
 
ENZO WALLART
Nico Raouanet (UL) def. No. 96 Enzo Wallart (UK), 6-4, 6-7 (0) ret.

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