No. 8 Kentucky Knocks Off SMU at ITA Indoor Nationals
DALLAS, Texas – Thanks to points from doubles, Matt Rankin, Jaden Weekes, and Jack Loutit, No. 8 Kentucky (7-2, 0-0 SEC) rebounded from an opening round loss to defeat SMU (7-5, 0-0 ACC) in a consolation match at the 2025 ITA Indoor National Championships in Dallas, Texas.
Loutit, ranked No. 68 in the country in singles, delivered the clinching point for the Cats for a team-leading third time this season. The Kiwi’s victory at No. 3 singles was the culmination of a topsy-turvy matchup between the Wildcats and the tournament’s host institution. Loutit, an NCAA Singles qualifier from this fall, remained undefeated in the spring season with the win on Saturday.
Delayed by over an hour due to preceding matches on court, the Wildcats started the evening with a doubles point victory. Loutit, paired with Eli Stephenson at court No. 2, began his stellar night with a comeback performance on the doubles court. The duo trailed 3-5 and had to break to stay in the match before rattling off four consecutive games to take the 7-5 win. Mere minutes late, Charlelie Cosnet and Antoine Ghibaudo earned the only break in their No. 3 doubles match, also claiming a 7-5 win to give Kentucky a 1-0 lead. The Cats are now 6-0 this season when taking the doubles point.
The Mustangs were able to rally at the beginning of singles play, earning early breaks on five courts and taking three of the six first sets. SMU would score their only points of the dual in successive fashion, as Georgi Georgiev defeated No. 95 Cosnet at court No. 4 and No. 70 Trevor Svajda took down Ghibaudo on the top court.
Matt Rankin was able to steady the ship from No. 6 singles, earning a straight sets win over Noah McDonald to even the match at two. Down an early break, Rankin was able to charge late in the first set and cruise to victory in the second, winning 7-5, 6-3. The sophomore from Edinburgh, Scotland is now 5-1 on the dual season.
No. 62 Weekes was the next Wildcat to post a point, rebounding from a set deficit to take the win at No. 2 singles in comeback fashion. After splitting the first two sets against Jerry Barton, the third set was a back-and-forth battle. Both players traded breaks to open the deciding frame, with Barton opening a 4-2 after a break at love. However, Weekes would go on to win the final four games of the match as part of a complete momentum shift in the overall dual in favor of the Wildcats. Weekes was able to save three break points when serving at 4-4 and completed the comeback in the subsequent return game, winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Around the same time as Weekes’ charge, both Loutit and Stephenson were also able to grab crucial breaks to carry the Cats across the finish line. Stephenson, who won his first set, had lost ten of 14 games in the latter stages of the deciding set, but was able to shift the tides and bring the match back on serve. One court over, Barton was serving for the second set against Loutit, but the Kiwi was able to save two set points and break, eventually pushing the set to a tiebreak.
While Loutit was playing his tiebreak, Stephenson made one final push to keep the Mustangs from tying the dual, saving three match points before Loutit was able to deliver the clinch.
Loutit breezed through the tiebreaker and delivered a 7-5, 7-6 (2) win to claim victory for his team.
The Wildcats will close out their stay at the 2025 ITA Indoor National Championships tomorrow evening, facing SEC rival No. 14 Texas A&M in a consolation matchup at 5 p.m. ET.
For the latest on UK Men’s Tennis, follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram at @UKMensTennis.
No. 8 Kentucky vs. SMU
Doubles Results
- Breysach/Weekes (UK) vs. Silagy/Georgiev (SMU) 5-6 (unfinished)
- Stephenson/Loutit(UK) def. Svajda/Cloud (SMU) 7-5
- Cosnet/Ghibaudo (UK) def. Deo/Calvelo (SMU) 7-5
Order of finish: 2,3
Singles Results
- No. 70 Trevor Svajda (SMU) def. Antoine Ghibaudo (UK) 6-4, 6-4
- No. 62 Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Jerry Barton (SMU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
- No. 68 Jack Loutit (UK) def. Ofek Shimanov (SMU) 7-5, 7-6 (2)
- Georgi Georgiev (SMU) def. No. 95 Charlelie Cosnet (UK) 6-0, 6-3
- Eli Stephenson (UK) vs. Louis Cloud (SMU) 6-3, 2-6, 4-5 (unfinished)
- Matt Rankin (UK) def. Noah McDonald (SMU) 7-5, 6-3
Order of finish: 4, 1, 6, 2, 3
