Cats Close ITA Kick-Off Weekend with Sweep of Virginia Tech
NEW YORK – Kentucky men’s tennis bounced back from its second loss of the season with a nearly flawless performance against Virginia Tech on the final day of ITA Kick-Off Weekend, defeating the Hokies 4-0 Sunday on the campus of Columbia University.
“Today was a good team win,” said senior Enzo Wallart. “The team is definitely growing stronger each day, and it was important that we put in a (good) performance.”
The Wildcats opened ITA Kick-Off Weekend a day prior to their win over Virginia Tech with a 3-0 start versus Dartmouth that ultimately ended in a 4-3 loss. After landing in the region’s consolation bracket, Kentucky picked up its fourth win of 2019 by channeling a second straight hot start into a dominant finish.
Freshmen Fabian Penzkofer and Kevin Huempfner won the match’s first doubles contest 6-4, followed by a clutch 7-6 (7-2) victory for Wallart and Cesar Bourgois to record the first point of the day.
Huempfner kept momentum alive with a 6-1, 6-0 decision on court six, while Kento Yamada trailed closely behind with a 6-3, 6-0 win on court five. Once Ryo Matsumura put away No. 30 Jason Kros 6-4, 6-2 in the top singles slot, UK had officially sealed its third sweep through the first six matches of the year.
Kentucky is set to take on its second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference opponent from the Commonwealth of Virginia in its return to Boone Tennis Center, hosting the No. 16 Virginia Cavaliers next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Singles
- Ryo Matsumura (UK) def. No. 30 Jason Kros (VT) 6-4, 6-2
- Enzo Wallart (UK) vs. Alexandre Ribeiro (VT) 7-6 (7-1), 0-1, unfinished
- Cesar Bourgois (UK) vs. Carlo Donato (VT) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished
- Theo McDonald (UK) vs. Evan Fragistas (VT) 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
- Kento Yamada (UK) def. Brandon Perez (VT) 6-3, 6-0
- Kevin Huempfner (UK) def. Ryan Kros (VT) 6-1, 6-0
Doubles
- Enzo Wallart/Cesar Bourgois (UK) def. Ryan Kros/Alexandre Ribeiro (VT) 7-6 (7-2)
- Ryo Matsumura/Kento Yamada (UK) vs. Jason Kros/Brandon Perez (VT) 6-6, unfinished
- Fabian Penzkofer/Kevin Huempfner (UK) def. Carlo Donato/Evan Fragistas (VT) 6-4
For the latest on Kentucky men’s tennis, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter and @KentuckyMensTennis on Instagram, and follow the team on the web at UKAthletics.com.
