Kentucky Men’s Tennis Team Now a National Power, Going Back to National Quarterfinals

team-47

Vicky Graff Photo

I have been covering University of Kentucky athletics since 1975 and there were several things I never imagined could happen that have indeed happened recently at UK.

Never did I think Kentucky could win a volleyball national championship, but coach Craig Skinner’s team did in dominating fashion.

Never did I think Kentucky could win a Southeastern Conference women’s swimming championship, but the Wildcats did.

Never did I think Kentucky could turn out world-class track athletes year after year, but Kentucky is doing that.

Now comes another accomplishment to add to the I-didn’t-see-that-coming list.

The Kentucky men’s tennis team has become a national power. Kentucky finished second in the nation in 2022 and Saturday beat Stanford 4-3 in the Lexington Super Regional to advance to the national quarterfinals for the sixth-time in program history. 

What’s even more impressive is that Kentucky had 903 fans at Saturday’s match to break the previous attendance mark of 686 set in 2011.

Kentucky lost the doubles point but came back to win four singles matches to claim the match victory and the deciding win was by Charlelie Cosnet, a freshman from LeMans, France, after he lost the opening set.

Kentucky will play in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Doubles

Court 1 – No. 67 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer (UK) vs. Banerjee/Fery (STAN) 5-3 (unfinished)

Court 2 – Chaudhary/Kolasinski (STAN) def. Taha Baadi/Christophe Clement 6-2

Court 3 – Basavareddy/Rajesh (STAN) def. Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes (UK) 6-2 

Singles

Court 1 – No. 3 Arthur Fery (STAN) def. No. 13 Liam Draxl (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (6)

Court 2 – No. 18 Alafia Ayeni (UK) def. No. 56 Samir Banerjee (STAN) 6-1, 6-1

Court 3 – No. 59 Joshua Lapadat (UK) def.  No. 15 Nishesh Basvareddy 6-4, 6-2

Court 4 – Taha Baadi (UK) def. Neel Rajesh (STAN) 6-3, 6-4

Court 5 – Filip Kolasinski (STAN) def. Jaden Weekes (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (5)

Court 6 – Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Aryan Chaudhary (STAN) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 

Order of Finish:

Doubles—2, 3

Singles—2, 4, 3, 1, 5, 6

UK Men’s Tennis

Vicky Graff Photos

One Response

  1. It’s really fitting not only our football program has risen so has other sports program is doing well. Now if we can get our basketball program turn around back we’re it should be UK really be shining.

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