Cats Continue SEC Play with South Carolina, Florida

Columbia, S.C. – Coming off the wrong end of a 4-3 heartbreaker last Saturday at No. 37 Arkansas, No. 40 Kentucky (9-8, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) will continue league play on the road against No. 32 South Carolina (11-5, 1-4 SEC) and at home versus No. 4 Florida (12-2, 5-0 SEC). First serve between the Wildcats and Gamecocks is scheduled for Thursday at 4 p.m. ET, while the Gators visit Lexington on Saturday at 1 p.m.
 
The Cats are led on the season by seniors Ryo Matsumura and Enzo Wallart, who each appeared in the latest edition of the ITA Division I Men’s National Singles Rankings last Tuesday. Matsumura headed the charge at No. 36, while Wallart made his season debut at No. 118 in the midst of a personal three-match winning streak.
 
Matsumura fell 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 to No. 53 Oscar Mesquida in the deciding point of last Saturday’s loss to the Razorbacks. Wallart picked up his third win over a nationally ranked foe with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 decision over No. 124 Adam Sanjurjo.
 
South Carolina returns to Columbia on the tail end of a three-match losing skid after opening its SEC slate with a 4-3 win over a top-50 Ole Miss team, equaling a feat Kentucky accomplished on March 1. Carolina is led on the season by America’s fifth-ranked singles player, Paul Jubb, who owns a 22-3 record.
 
Before arriving at Boone Tennis Center, Florida is set to compete in home tilts versus No. 13 Illinois on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and No. 28 Vanderbilt on Thursday at 5 p.m. The Gators are anchored in singles play by four ranked players: No. 15 Oliver Crawford, No. 29 Andy Andrade, No. 51 Sam Riffice, and No. 97 Johannes Ingildsen.
 
Since 2017, Kentucky has split its head-to-head matchup with each opponent 1-1.
 
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