March 29, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 45th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team hosts the No. 24 Kentucky Wildcats Thursday at 4 p.m.
The Commodores take on UK in hopes of securing their second Southeastern Conference victory of the season. Last weekend, VU fell 4-2 to No. 26 South Carolina and 7-0 to the 12th-ranked Florida Gators.
Lachlan McPhee and Billy Rowe debuted at No. 39 in the latest Oracle/ITA rankings. The pair is 3-5 in the SEC, playing predominantly at the No. 1 doubles position.
Watching the Wildcats:
Kentucky heads to West End with a 12-8 (3-4) record, suffering a 4-3 road loss against No. 26 South Carolina in the squad’s last outing. Playing well in the top three spots of the singles lineup, the Wildcats own just two losses in SEC play in each position.
UK boasts three players in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings, with William Bushamuka leading the team at No 17, followed by Ryotaro Matsumura (No. 24) and Nils Ellefsen (No. 113). In doubles Beck Pennington and Enzo Wallert rank 27th with Bushamuka and Ellefsen coming in at No. 77.
In their last meeting, the Dores outlasted Kentucky, 4-3, in Lexington with Rhys Johnson clinching the upset over the then-No. 17 Wildcats.
The first 250 fans in attendance at Thursday’s match will receive an Anchor Down tumbler. For updates throughout the match follow live scoring and @Vandymenstennis on Twitter.