Weekend to forget: No. 4 Kentucky men's tennis swept in Knoxville
The bad got uglier for Kentucky men’s tennis this weekend.
The fourth-ranked team in the land spiraled downhill during their SEC road trip. Two losses in three days came at the hands of No. 8 Georgia on Friday and No. 14 Tennessee on Sunday. Kentucky’s back-to-back losses (a first this season) drop the record to 19-4 (7-3) for the year. With only two matches left in the regular season, the ‘Cats must find a way to shake off arguably their two worst performances of the year.
Kentucky doesn’t get swept. It hadn’t happened this season before the Tennessee match on Sunday afternoon.
Doubles play had been shaky once the season opened, but it looked to be fixed when the Wildcats rattled off seven-straight wins. As for singles, well this is where UK had thrived all season long. When your No. 1 option is ITA All-American, Liam Draxl, you should have a good feeling. That being said, Draxl hasn’t been alone during the campaign. Taha Baadi and Alafia Ayeni have been superb reinforcements down the singles ladder. Throw in the mix a resilient freshman in Charlelie Cosnet, who has proven time and time again that he belongs on the big stage.
Now, however, all of that looks foreign.
Kentucky hasn’t looked the same since the Georgia match on Friday where they lost 5-2 on the road in Athens. Two days later, the ‘Cats get blanked for the first time in Knoxville. Granted, the SEC is a war field for men’s tennis. The Bulldogs and Vols both boast top-15 squads, but that hasn’t been a problem for the Wildcats this year. UK has three top-15 wins and is good enough to hang with anyone in the country.
Why does that red panic button look so enticing to press now?
Orange onslaught
Liam Draxl and Jaden Weekes fell in doubles for the second time in a row. A duo that once looked to be a sneaky underrated team seems to have lost its mojo. They lost 6-4. Then, Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer were bested 7-5. Lapadat and Mercer won at Georgia, but couldn’t keep their good fortune going on Sunday.
The No. 1 pairing of Ayeni and Baadi was facing off with the No. 2 doubles team in the country, but were unable to finish their match, considering Tennessee had already won the doubles point.
Three singles matches were left unfinished because the Volunteers clinched the match so quickly. A Kentucky comeback was non-existent after Tennessee squandered the visitors so early. Baadi was defeated 1-6, 2-6 on court four and the ‘Cats were really in trouble.
Jaden Weekes then went down on court five. The straight-set loss of 1-6, 4-6 gave the Vols a 3-0 lead in the match and the brooms were inches away from coming out. Ayeni proceeded to lose a few moments later, cementing the victory for Tennessee. Ayeni also went down in straights, meaning three Wildcats lost in straight sets. Draxl, Lapadat, and Cosnet were unable to finish their matches once the 4-0 scoreline was finalized.
Barksdale Stadium in Knoxville had turned into a house of horrors for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Something to salvage for Kentucky
Kentucky has two more chances in the regular season before they move on to postseason play. It’s a weeks rest before the ‘Cats take on Vanderbilt at the Boone Tennis Center. Sunday’s clash versus the Commodores will be Senior Day for the Wildcats, so yes still a lot to play for.
After Vanderbilt, Kentucky rounds off its season with a trip to Gainesville. The ‘Cats have already beaten Florida once this season at the ITA Indoors. It’ll either be a losing streak extended or a resurgence of tennis for these ‘Cats.
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