AUBURN, Ala. – After three and a half hours of play, the No. 2 seed Tennessee men’s tennis team dropped a hard-fought match Saturday in the SEC Tournament semifinals, falling to No. 3 seed Kentucky, 4-3.
Tennessee (21-7) dropped the doubles point for just the fourth time this season, as Kentucky picked up wins on courts three and two. On court one, the Vols’ fifth-ranked doubles pair rolled to a convincing, 6-1, victory over the nation’s 23rd-ranked duo of Alafia Ayeni and Taha Baadi.
Kentucky’s (23-4) doubles clinch came on court two, as its 67th-ranked pairing of JJ Mercer and Joshua Lapadat won a tiebreaker of Tennessee’s No. 46 Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui, 7-6(3).
In singles action, Tennessee’s three wins came at the bottom three courts, with Tomas Rodriguez cruising to a 6-2, 6-0, win over Kentucky’s Charlelie Cosnet on court six, tying the match at 1-1. In his two singles matches at the SEC Tournament, Rodriguez only dropped a combined two games.
Tennessee took a 2-1 lead as Mitsui battled past Taha Baadi, 7-5, 6-3. With the victory, Mitsui surpassed his 2022 win total at the No. 4 singles position, earning his 12th win of the dual season at that spot Saturday.
After Kentucky won singles matches on courts three and one to take a 3-2 lead, Angel Diaz executed a brilliant comeback to even the match at 3-apiece, defeating Kentucky’s Jaden Weekes, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5. Dropping the first set, 6-2, Diaz responded with a 6-1 second-set triumph.
In the third set, Diaz trailed 3-5, 0-30, while serving, but battled back to avoid a break and entered a must-break situation, down 4-5. In the tenth game of the set, Diaz trailed 0-30, with Weekes serving, but fought back to even the third set at 5-all and eventually broke Weeks again at 6-5 to take the match on court five.
Kentucky clinched the match on court two, as the Wildcats’ No. 25 Alafia Ayeni edged No. 32 Hudd in three sets, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Tennessee (21-7) dropped the doubles point for just the fourth time this season, as Kentucky picked up wins on courts three and two. On court one, the Vols’ fifth-ranked doubles pair rolled to a convincing, 6-1, victory over the nation’s 23rd-ranked duo of Alafia Ayeni and Taha Baadi.
Kentucky’s (23-4) doubles clinch came on court two, as its 67th-ranked pairing of JJ Mercer and Joshua Lapadat won a tiebreaker of Tennessee’s No. 46 Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui, 7-6(3).
In singles action, Tennessee’s three wins came at the bottom three courts, with Tomas Rodriguez cruising to a 6-2, 6-0, win over Kentucky’s Charlelie Cosnet on court six, tying the match at 1-1. In his two singles matches at the SEC Tournament, Rodriguez only dropped a combined two games.
Tennessee took a 2-1 lead as Mitsui battled past Taha Baadi, 7-5, 6-3. With the victory, Mitsui surpassed his 2022 win total at the No. 4 singles position, earning his 12th win of the dual season at that spot Saturday.
After Kentucky won singles matches on courts three and one to take a 3-2 lead, Angel Diaz executed a brilliant comeback to even the match at 3-apiece, defeating Kentucky’s Jaden Weekes, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5. Dropping the first set, 6-2, Diaz responded with a 6-1 second-set triumph.
In the third set, Diaz trailed 3-5, 0-30, while serving, but battled back to avoid a break and entered a must-break situation, down 4-5. In the tenth game of the set, Diaz trailed 0-30, with Weekes serving, but fought back to even the third set at 5-all and eventually broke Weeks again at 6-5 to take the match on court five.
Kentucky clinched the match on court two, as the Wildcats’ No. 25 Alafia Ayeni edged No. 32 Hudd in three sets, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
UP NEXT
Tennessee learns its seeding and matchup for the NCAA Tournament during the May 1 selection show, airing on NCAA.com at 6:30 p.m. ET.
RESULTS: Tennessee 3, Kentucky 4
Doubles
1. #5 Pat Harper/Johannus Monday (UT) def. #23 Alafia Ayeni/Taha Baadi (UK) 6-1
2. #67 JJ Mercer/Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. #46 Emile Hudd/Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) 7-6 (7-3)
3. Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Angel Diaz/Martim Prata (UT) 6-2
Order of Finish: (1,3,2)
Singles
1. #19 Liam Draxl (UK) def. #2 Johannus Monday…
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