No. 28 Kentucky Defeats No. 44 Alabama, 4-0
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Kentucky (8-4, 1-0 SEC) men’s tennis team opened Southeastern Conference play with a win as UK took down Alabama (14-3, 0-2 SEC), 4-0 at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.
Kentucky started with an early 1-0 lead as UK won the doubles point. The duo of Will Bushamuka and Austin Hussey breezed past Zhe Zhou and Riccardo Roberto, 6-1. Alabama punched back after the No. 34 team of Mazen Osama and Edson Ortiz beat Cesar Bourgois and Gus Benson. UK earned the point when Ryo Matsumura and Enzo Wallart earned their first ranked win of the year, 7-6 (8-6), over No. 40 Thibault Cancel and Alexey Nesterov.
Enzo Wallart was the first singles winner for UK to push the Wildcat lead to 2-0. Wallart beat Patrick Kaukovalta, 6-3, 6-3 on the No. 3 court. Wallart is a perfect on 4-0 on the third court and 8-1 overall this season. His lone loss came of the No. 4 court and he is also perfect as the top player.
Ryo Matsumura earned his second ranked win of the season when he beat No. 113 Mazen Osama, 6-4, 7-5. Matsumura is now 8-1 this season and is currently on a three-match winning streak. The Fukui, Japan native beat No. 97 Aron Hiltzik earlier this season, also in straight sets.
Kento Yamada clinched the win for the Cats with a 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 victory over Alexey Nesterov. Yamada is 7-2 in his first collegiate season, and now 2-1 on the No. 6 court.
Three singles matches were unfinished when play was called. Will Bushamuka was up 4-6, 6-3, 4-3 Trey Yates was locked a tiebreak in the second set and down 4-6, 6-6 (2-0) and Austin Hussey was at 7-5, 3-6, 2-2 at the end of the match.
Kentucky will continue SEC play on Friday at the Boone Tennis Center at 5 p.m. against Arkansas.
Tennis Match Results
Kentucky vs Alabama
Mar 04, 2018 at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
(Alabama Tennis Stadium)
#28 Kentucky 4, #44 Alabama 0
Singles competition
1. #63 Ryotaro Matsumura (KENTUCKY) def. #113 Osama, Mazen (UA) 6-4, 7-5
2. Cancel, Thibault (UA) vs. Will Bushamuka (KENTUCKY) 6-4, 3-6, 3-4, unfinished
3. #115 Enzo Wallart (KENTUCKY) def. Kaukovalta, Patrick (UA) 6-3, 6-3
4. Zhou, Zhe (UA) vs. Trey Yates (KENTUCKY) 6-4, 6-6 (0-2), unfinished
5. Ortiz, Edson (UA) vs. Austin Hussey (KENTUCKY) 5-7, 6-3, 2-2, unfinished
6. Kento Yamada (KENTUCKY) def. Nesterov, Alexey (UA) 7-6 (7-0), 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #34 Osama, Mazen/Ortiz, Edson (UA) def. Gus Benson/Cesar Bourgois (KENTUCKY) 6-1
2. Ryotaro Matsumura/Enzo Wallart (KENTUCKY) def. #40 Nesterov, Alexey/Cancel, Thibault (UA) 7-6 (8-6)
3. Will Bushamuka/Austin Hussey (KENTUCKY) def. Roberto, Riccardo/Zhou, Zhe (UA) 6-1
Match Notes:
Kentucky 8-4, 1-0 SEC; National ranking #28
Alabama 14-3, 0-2 SEC; National ranking #44
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,1,6)
T-3:00 A-145
For more information on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter or Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team on Facebook.
