LEXINGTON, Ky. –– With a 4-2 victory over No. 10 Kentucky, the Alabama men’s tennis team won its ITA Kickoff Weekend regional site and earned a spot at the Indoor Championship.
Saturday’s win over Kentucky (4-1) marked the first time since 2010 that Alabama (3-2) emerged as the regional champion. UA will compete as one of just 16 teams at the four-day national tournament beginning Feb. 16 in New York, N.Y.
The Crimson Tide secured the victory over the Wildcats with a pair of doubles wins and a trio of singles victories from the top-three positions in its lineup. The No. 25-ranked Filip Planinsek and Andrii Zimnokh as well as Matic Dimic and Roan Jones finished the weekend undefeated in paired play. Planinsek and Matias Ponce De Leon led the Tide in singles as the respective 35th and 76th-ranked players nationally secured wins in both matches. In addition to Planinsek and Ponce De Leon, Enzo Aguiard secured a win in singles play to clinch the victory over the 10th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats for UA’s best-ranked win since it defeated No. 11 Florida State in 2018.
Alabama also recorded a 4-2 win against Nebraska on Friday in the opening round of competition.
“Today was all about stepping on the court and accepting every challenge that came our way. The guys sunk their teeth into the match and never let go. Incredible response by the group and I’m so pumped for them. That’s progress with the process and we have more to climb. But for now, it’s hard not to enjoy this exciting moment so that’s exactly what we will do.”
The Match
- UA advanced to the ITA Indoor Championships for the first time since 2010 as the Tide finished the tournament undefeated
- The victory over the 10th-ranked Wildcats also marked the Tide’s highest-ranked victory since its upset win over No. 11 Florida State in 2018
- UA opened the day with the No. 25-ranked doubles team of Filip Planinsek and Andrii Zimnokh defeating Taha Baadi and Matt Rankin 6-4 on court two
- Moments later, Matic Dimic and Roan Jones captured the opening point with a 6-4 win on court three against Eli Stephenson and Jaden Weekes
- Kentucky evened the team score with a win at the No. 4 singles spot, but 35th-ranked Planinsek came from behind to take a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win over Joshua Lapadat at the top of the ladder
- 76th-ranked Matias Ponce De Leon moved UA out to a 3-1 lead thanks to a 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2 win over Weekes on court three
- Kentucky would tally the win on…
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