UK Tennis Seniors Matsumura, Wallart Earn All-SEC Honors
LEXINGTON, Ky. – As the Kentucky Wildcats men’s tennis team awaits next Monday’s NCAA Tournament field announcement to determine its postseason fate, senior duo Ryo Matsumura and Enzo Wallart were each voted to the 2019 All-Southeastern Conference teams by the league’s head coaches on Thursday.
Matsumura was named to the All-SEC first team for the second straight season, while Wallart appeared on the conference’s second team.
“I am proud of those two players for making the All-SEC teams,” said head coach Cedric Kauffmann. “This is one of the toughest conferences in the country, so it is a big accomplishment.”
Matsumura, who signed to UK four years ago as the second-highest-ranked recruit in program history, joins former Cats Jesse Witten and Eric Quigley as the school’s third four-time All-SEC honoree after being named to the second team in both 2016 and 2017. The Fukui, Japan native currently holds the 35th spot in the ITA Division I Men’s National Singles Rankings, making his 39th career appearance that peaked with a No. 8 placement.
Matsumura has posted a 15-9 singles record so far through his senior campaign, picking up seven wins over nationally ranked opponents and five victories in SEC play. He was named the season’s first SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 30.
Thursday marks Wallart’s first selection to an All-SEC team. He has a 2019 singles record of 13-8 and a team-best six conference wins. His 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) defeat of then-No. 15 Jan Zielinski in Kentucky’s 5-2 win over No. 17 Georgia on April 12 ranks as UK’s best singles victory of the season, accompanied by four other ranked wins for the Windermere, Florida native.
“It’s really well deserved for Enzo to make it for the first time,” Kauffmann said. “As our captain, he’s been a rock for this team on and off the court. These two will be very important pieces for us to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, and I have no doubt they will continue to produce like they have all year.”
As the Wildcats’ lone seniors, Matsumura and Wallart are the only players to compete in both of the top two singles slots this season.
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