NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team came up short in its SEC home opener against No. 7 Kentucky on Friday.
The Wildcats took the early advantage, clinching the doubles point when Hugo Coquelin and Danil Panarin fell 6-3 to the tandem of Jack Loutit and Matt Rankin on Court 3. Just before, Kentucky’s No. 23 duo of Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer came over Jeremie Casabon and Nathan Cox on Court 2, claiming the victory 6-2. Finishing first on Court 1, Joubert Klopper and Michael Ross picked up the lone victory for the Dores with a 6-3 win over Eli Stephenson and Jaden Weekes.
Kentucky added to their lead in singles action, with Lapadat claiming a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Cox on Court 2. Charlelie Cosnet secured a 6-3, 6-4 win on Court 4, while Panarin won in straight sets over No. 24 Taha Baadi on Court 1, posting a 6-2, 7-5 score. Ross went to three sets, taking the first and dropping the second, eventually falling to Loutit 6-1 in the final set. Klopper took the first set against Weekes in a tiebreak 6-7 (3-7), dropping the second and third, and the Wildcats were up 5-1. Stephenson came over Coquelin in straight sets, securing the 6-1 victory for Kentucky.
Singles
1. Panarin (Vanderbilt) def. No. 24 Baadi 6-2, 7-5
2. Lapadat (Kentucky) def. Cox 6-2, 6-3
3. Weekes (Kentucky) def. Klopper 6-7 (3-7), 6-0, 6-2
4. Charlelie Cosnet (Kentucky) def. Casabon 6-3, 6-4
5. Loutit (Kentucky) def. Ross 2-6, 6-0, 6-1
6. Stephenson (Kentucky) def. Coquelin 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. No. 23 Lapadat/Mercer (Kentucky) def. Cox/Casabon 6-2
2. Klopper/Ross (Vanderbilt) def. Stephenson/Weekes 6-3
3. Loutit/Rankin (Kentucky) def. Panarin/Coquelin 6-3
Up Next: Vanderbilt continues SEC conference play next week, traveling to Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Friday and returning home on Sunday to face Alabama.