Cats Collect 18 Wins at Commodore Invitational

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Kentucky men’s tennis team bounced back from a slow start to its fall season two weeks prior with a strong showing versus Auburn, Arkansas and host Vanderbilt at the Commodore Invitational last weekend.
 
All eight competing Wildcats had a hand in the 18 victories Kentucky earned over the three-day span, highlighted by perfect 3-0 performances from both Gabriel Diallo and Joshua Lapadat on the singles court.
 
“I thought the weekend was an improvement from the last event,” said volunteer assistant coach Peter Kobelt. “I feel like the guys have a better understanding of what is required of them in order for us to achieve our goals. I think we are moving in the right direction, and if we can continue to do this, I’m confident we’ll have a chance to play for some big-time trophies.”
 
Kentucky began the competition against Auburn on Friday. The Wildcats won three of four doubles matchups, led by the senior-freshman combination of Millen Hurrion and Tate Sandman in the No. 1 slot. Partners Ying-Ze Chen and Alexandre LeBlanc emerged triumphant, as well, while Heman Nama and Jonathan Sorbo kicked off the weekend with a win of their own. Diallo, Lapadat and Nama beat the Tigers in singles play, marking the first individual win of Nama’s career.
 
On Saturday, Nama and Sorbo teamed up for another victory with an 8-5 win over Josh Bortnick and Foster Rogers of Arkansas. Hurrion defeated Maxim Verboven 6-3, 6-2 as the top singles player, followed by a 6-4, 7-6 win for Diallo over Tad Maclean on the second court and a 7-5, 6-4 win for Lapadat over Tim Dollman on the third.
 
Chen—playing in the fifth spot—and Sorbo—anchoring the rear—claimed their first respective singles victories of the season versus the Razorbacks.
 
On the contest’s final day, Kentucky put on a nearly flawless performance in an abbreviated head-to-head meeting with the host team. The Wildcats claimed both doubles matchups and the top four singles bouts, dropping only the No. 5 tilt to the Commodores.
 
With only one tournament remaining before the spring, Kentucky looks to build off last weekend’s momentum at the Alabama Four-In-The-Fall on Nov. 6-8 at Alabama Tennis Stadium. The Cats will face Vanderbilt once again, as well as LSU and the host Crimson Tide for the first time.
 
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s tennis team, follow @UKMensTennis on Twitter and Facebook, @kentuckymenstennis on Instagram, and on the web at UKAthletics.com.
 
 
Day 1
 
Singles
1. Tyler Stice (Auburn) def. Millen Hurrion (Kentucky) 2-6, 7-6, 6-0
2. Gabriel Diallo (Kentucky) def. Tad Maclean (Auburn) 6-4, 7-6
3. Joshua Lapadat (Kentucky) def. Tim Dollman (Auburn) 7-5, 6-4
4. Maxwell Giddens (Auburn) def. Alexandre LeBlanc (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-4
5. Finn Murgett (Auburn) def. Ying-Ze Chen (Kentucky) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Spencer Gray (Auburn) def. Tate Sandman (Kentucky) 6-1, 6-4
7. Tom Wright (Auburn) def. Jonathan Sorbo (Kentucky) 6-3, 6-2
8. Heman Nama (Kentucky) def. Anders Fry (Auburn) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Millen Hurrion/Tate Sandman (Kentucky) def. Tad Maclean/Finn Murgett (Auburn) 8-6
2. Tom Wright/Maxwell Giddens (Auburn) def. Joshua Lapadat/Gabriel Diallo (Kentucky) 8-7
3. Ying-Ze Chen/Alexandre LeBlanc (Kentucky) def. Anders Fry/Diego Chavarria (Auburn) 8-4
4. Heman Nama/Jonathan Sorbo (Kentucky) def. Tim Dollman/Spencer Gray (Auburn) 8-3
 
 
Day 2
 
Singles
1. Millen Hurrion (Kentucky) def. Maxim Verboven (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-2
2. Gabriel Diallo (Kentucky) def. Alex Reco (Arkansas) 5-7, 7-6, 7-6(6)
3. Nico Rousset (Arkansas) def. Alexandre LeBlanc (Kentucky) 6-4, 6-1
4. Joshua Lapadat (Kentucky) def. Aleksa Bucan (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ying-Ze Chen (Kentucky) def. Melvin Manuel (Arkansas) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
6. Hunter Harrison (Arkansas) def. Tate Sandman (Kentucky) 6-1, 6-4
7. Avery Zavala (Arkansas) def. Heman Nama (Kentucky) 6-3, 0-6, 6-2
8. Jonathan Sorbo (Kentucky) def. Josh Bortnick (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-4
 
Doubles
1. Maxim Verboven/Hunter Harrison (Arkansas) def. Millen Hurrion/Tate Sandman (Kentucky) 8-1
2. Alex Reco/Nico Rousset (Arkansas) def. Gabriel Diallo/Joshua Lapadat (Kentucky) 8-6
3. Avery Zavala/Melvin Manuel (Arkansas) def. Ying-Ze Chen/Alexandre LeBlanc (Kentucky) 8-7
4. Heman Nama/Jonathan Sorbo (Kentucky) def. Josh Bortnick/Foster Rogers (Arkansas) 8-5
 
 
Day 3
 
Singles
1. Millen Hurrion (Kentucky) def. George Harwell (Vanderbilt) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
2. Joshua Lapadat (Kentucky) def. Marcus Ferreira (Vanderbilt) 6-3, 6-1
3. Gabriel Diallo (Kentucky) def. James Ignatowich (Vanderbilt) 6-2, 6-1
4. Alexandre LeBlanc (Kentucky) def. Connor Robb-Wilcox (Vanderbilt) 7-6, 6-3
5. Adam Sraberg (Vanderbilt) def. Ying-Ze Chen (Kentucky) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6
 
Doubles
1. Gabriel Diallo/Ying-Ze Chen (Kentucky) def. Adam Sraberg/George Harwell (Vanderbilt) 6-3
2. Millen Hurrion/Joshua Lapadat (Kentucky) def. James Ignatowich/Marcus Ferreira (Vanderbilt) 6-1