LEXINGTON, Ky. – The sixth-ranked Tennessee men’s tennis team narrowly fell to No. 5 Kentucky, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, allowing the Wildcats to win the SEC title outright and resulting in a second-place finish for the Big Orange.
The Vols (21-5,10-2 SEC) dropped the doubles point to the Wildcats (21-2,12-0 SEC) with wins on courts two and three. The 10th-ranked duo of Johannus Monday and Angel Diaz posted a 7-5 win over UK’s No. 8 pair of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer on court one.
Third-ranked Monday tied the score at 1-all with a 6-3, 6-1 effort over No. 38 Taha Baadi atop the lineup. Diaz followed in 6-1, 6-4 fashion over Eli Stephenson on court six. The Wildcats made it 2-2 with a win on court four. No. 31 Shunsuke Mitsui cranked out a three-setter over 99th-ranked Lapadat, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, to give the Vols a one-point advantage at 3-2. UK pulled out a win on court three, making court five the deciding factor. Filip Pieczonka battled in three sets, but ultimately fell to Jack Loutit on court five, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, leading to the win for Kentucky.
JO AND ANGEL AT NO. 1
With their win over the eighth-ranked pair of Lapadat and Mercer, Monday and Diaz now hold a 9-3 record against ranked opponents this season, including an impressive 3-0 mark against those residing in the top 10. The duo boasts a 16-4 record in 2024 and finished conference play with a 9-3 mark playing at the No. 1 spot.
UP NEXT
The Vols will kick off postseason action with the 2024 SEC Men’s Tennis Championship, running April 17-21 at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge, La.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. #10 Johannus Monday/Angel Diaz (UT) def. #8 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer (UK), 7-5
2. Taha Baadi/Jack Loutit (UK) def. #58 Shunsuke Mitsui/Filip Pieczonka (UT), 7-5
3. Eli Stephenson/Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Younes Lalami/Nicolas Kobelt (UT), 7-6(5)
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Singles
1. #3 Johannus Monday (UT) def. #38 Taha Baadi (UK), 6-3, 6-1
2. #31 Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. #99 Joshua Lapadat (UK), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. #124 Jaden Weeks (UK) def. Chris Li (UT), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
4. Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Nicolas Kobelt (UT), 7-6(0), 6-3
5. Jack Loutit (UK) def. Filip Pieczonka (UT), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
6. Angel Diaz (UT) def. Eli Stephenson (UK), 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,6,4,2,3,5
The Vols (21-5,10-2 SEC) dropped the doubles point to the Wildcats (21-2,12-0 SEC) with wins on courts two and three. The 10th-ranked duo of Johannus Monday and Angel Diaz posted a 7-5 win over UK’s No. 8 pair of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer on court one.
Third-ranked Monday tied the score at 1-all with a 6-3, 6-1 effort over No. 38 Taha Baadi atop the lineup. Diaz followed in 6-1, 6-4 fashion over Eli Stephenson on court six. The Wildcats made it 2-2 with a win on court four. No. 31 Shunsuke Mitsui cranked out a three-setter over 99th-ranked Lapadat, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, to give the Vols a one-point advantage at 3-2. UK pulled out a win on court three, making court five the deciding factor. Filip Pieczonka battled in three sets, but ultimately fell to Jack Loutit on court five, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, leading to the win for Kentucky.
JO AND ANGEL AT NO. 1
With their win over the eighth-ranked pair of Lapadat and Mercer, Monday and Diaz now hold a 9-3 record against ranked opponents this season, including an impressive 3-0 mark against those residing in the top 10. The duo boasts a 16-4 record in 2024 and finished conference play with a 9-3 mark playing at the No. 1 spot.
UP NEXT
The Vols will kick off postseason action with the 2024 SEC Men’s Tennis Championship, running April 17-21 at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge, La.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. #10 Johannus Monday/Angel Diaz (UT) def. #8 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer (UK), 7-5
2. Taha Baadi/Jack Loutit (UK) def. #58 Shunsuke Mitsui/Filip Pieczonka (UT), 7-5
3. Eli Stephenson/Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Younes Lalami/Nicolas Kobelt (UT), 7-6(5)
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
Singles
1. #3 Johannus Monday (UT) def. #38 Taha Baadi (UK), 6-3, 6-1
2. #31 Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. #99 Joshua Lapadat (UK), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. #124 Jaden Weeks (UK) def. Chris Li (UT), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
4. Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Nicolas Kobelt (UT), 7-6(0), 6-3
5. Jack Loutit (UK) def. Filip Pieczonka (UT), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
6. Angel Diaz (UT) def. Eli Stephenson (UK), 6-1, 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,6,4,2,3,5
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