UK Men’s Tennis Sweeps Nicholls in Second Match of Doubleheader
BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Kentucky men’s tennis team did not drop a match in the second contest of its doubleheader on Saturday, forming a 4-0 mark to defeat Nicholls on a neutral court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In the first dual match of the doubleheader, the Wildcats struggled to find an answer to LSU’s early momentum that resulted in a 0-4 loss.
Rebounding from a troubling loss to LSU to begin the day, the UK men’s tennis team (13-2, Southeastern Conference 4-5) put together a series of matches against Nicholls good enough to leave the Colonels scoreless in the end. In doubles, senior Ryo Matsumura and freshman Kevin Huempfner recorded a 6-1 outcome on court No. 3 to set UK up for the doubles point. Senior Enzo Wallart and freshman Ying-Ze Chen followed, tabbing a 6-4 decision on court No. 2.
Having clinched the doubles point, UK left the Colonels speechless in the singles division. Wallart delivered on court one, defeating Oleksandra Podgursky 6-1, 6-0. The senior from Windermere, Florida, improved his season record on court No. 1 to 2-0. Matsumura followed, recording a 6-1, 6-0 mark over Tobia Lentz on the second court. It was freshman Huempfner who sealed the deal, defeating Eduardo Marino in a 6-1, 6-2 outcome on court four.
In the Wildcats dual match at LSU, only junior Cesar Bourgois and sophomore Kento Yamada reported a winning score. The doubles team defeated the Tigers’ Shane Monroe and Daniel Moreno by a 6-2 decision on court one. It didn’t stand up to the test, when LSU clinched the doubles and the singles divisions to record a 4-0 win over Kentucky.
The UK men’s tennis team will return home to host Georgia on April 12 at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center, before hosting Tennessee on April 14. The string of matches mark the program’s final regular-season home appearances this season.
Agate (Kentucky vs. Nicholls)
Doubles
2 – Enzo Wallart-Ying-Ze Chen def. Nestor Girbet Lopez 6-4
3 – Ryo Matsumura-Kevin Huempfner def. Alvaro Barranco Vilaltella-Eduardo Marino 6-1
(3, 2)
Singles
1 – Enzo Wallart def. Oleksandra Podgursky 6-1, 6-0
2 – Ryo Matsumura def. Tobias Lentz 6-1, 6-0
4 – Kevin Huempfner def. Eduardo Marino 6-1, 6-2
(1, 2, 4)
For more on Kentucky men’s tennis, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, Kentucky Women’s Tennis on Facebook, or on the web at UKathletics.com.
