Cats Move to 3-0 with Win Over ETSU

LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 25 Kentucky (3-0) capped off a perfect season-opening weekend with a 5-2 win over ETSU (0-2) on Sunday at Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
 
The Wildcats were led by speedy singles victories from elder statesmen Millen Hurrion and César Bourgois, followed by an emphatic clincher by Liam Draxl.
 
“We expected a tough test against ETSU today, and we got it,” said assistant coach Matthew Gordon. “I don’t think we played our best tennis, but our captains stepped up, and Liam did a good job closing it out. We have work to do, but at the end of the day, we got the win, and that’s what matters.”
 
Doubles play started with a 6-0 sweep on court two by Draxl and sophomore Alexandre LeBlanc, though Hurrion and junior Ying-Ze Chen dropped Kentucky’s first contest of the year with a 6-3 loss on court three. Bourgois and sophomore Gabriel Diallo secured the opening point on the top court, however, holding on for a 7-5 victory.
 
With Kentucky leading 1-0, Hurrion and Bourgois moved the Wildcats within one step of a win by making quick work of singles play. Playing on court two, Hurrion finished first with a 6-1, 6-1 triumph. Bourgois followed soon after with a 6-3, 6-0 win from the No. 4 spot.
 
After Diallo fell on court three, Draxl found himself within clinching opportunity in the No. 1 slot. Winning the first set handily, the sophomore fought through a come-from-behind second-set slugfest with ETSU senior Frazier Rengifo that ended in a 7-5 tiebreaker, clinching Kentucky’s third victory of the season.
 
The teams agreed to complete the remaining matchups, splitting three-set tiebreakers on courts five and six.
 
Kentucky is set to return to action with an in-state midweek match, hosting the Bellarmine Knights (0-2) on Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET.
 
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.
 
 
#25 Kentucky 5, ETSU 2
 
Singles
1.#45 Liam Draxl (UK) def. Frazier Rengifo (ETSU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
2.Millen Hurrion (UK) def. Milo Bargeron (ETSU) 6-1, 6-1
3.Dimitri Badra (ETSU) def. Gabriel Diallo (UK) 6-4, 6-4
4.César Bourgois (UK) def. Dylan Bednarczyk (ETSU) 6-3, 6-0
5.#114 Alexandre LeBlanc (UK) def. Thiago Pernas (ETSU) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6)
6.J. Sebastian Zabala (ETSU) def. Mathis Moysan (UK) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6)
 
Doubles
1.Gabriel Diallo/César Bourgois (UK) def. Frazier Rengifo/J. Sebastian Zabala (ETSU) 7-5
2.Liam Draxl/Alexandre LeBlanc (UK) def. Dylan Bednarczyk/Miguel Este (ETSU) 6-0
3.Dimitri Badra/Thiago Pernas (ETSU) def. Millen Hurrion/Ying-Ze Chen (UK) 6-3
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,4,3,1,5,6)