Men’s Tennis Travels to Auburn, Alabama in Week Three of SEC Play
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 6 Kentucky (15-2, 3-1 SEC) embarks on a two-match swing to the state of Alabama when the Wildcats take on No. 22 Auburn (11-5, 1-2 SEC) and Alabama (9-7, 1-2 SEC) this Thursday and Saturday.
Kentucky will battle the Tigers at 4 p.m. on Thursday before heading to Tuscaloosa to meet the Crimson Tide at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Live stats and streaming will be available to fans for both matchups.
UK has won its last three matches, posting victories against Texas A&M, LSU and Arkansas. Joshua Lapadat paces the team with 13 wins in singles, including five against nationally ranked opponents. The junior has won eight-straight matches, a streak which dates back to Feb. 12. Lapadat and partner JJ Mercer are also the Wildcats’ lone ranked doubles team, appearing at No. 56 in the ITA rankings with a team-high eight wins.
Auburn enters Thursday having lost its last three contests, most recently falling at Tulane on Sunday. Senior Finn Murgett has nine singles’ victories this spring to lead the Tigers, while classmate Tyler Stice is the team’s lone ranked singles player at No. 124. Two Auburn doubles pairings own a spot in the ITA rankings with Raul Dobai and Murgett at No. 33 and Jan Galka and Alejandro Moreno at No. 65.
Alabama begins the weekend at 1-2 in league play after defeating Florida last Sunday. The Tide will host Tennessee on Thursday before meeting the Cats on Saturday. 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year Filip Planinsek returns for Alabama and has gone 8-4 at the first singles spot this spring, while sophomore Enzo Aguiard is currently ranked No. 63 in the nation.
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
