LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 26th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team jumped out to an early lead, winning the doubles point against No. 14 Kentucky, but the Commodores couldn’t hang on, falling 4-2 at the Hilary Boone Tennis Complex on Sunday.
Vanderbilt (13-8, 4-6 SEC) earned the 1-0 advantage with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. The top team for the `Dores, fourth-ranked Gonzales Austin and Ryan Lipman, picked up the first win, knocking off No. 31 Tom Jomby and Kevin Lai.
Teaming up for the first time this season Ryan Smith and Suresh Eswaran earned the impressive tiebreak win at No. 3. With Vandy up 5-0 in the breaker Kentucky fought back to 5-all. Both teams traded blows with Smith and Eswaran winning an impressive breaker, 17-15.
Despite winning the doubles point the Commodores came out slow in singles, winning only two first sets.
The Wildcats gained the lead taking the first two singles matches in straight-sets. No. 90 Beck Pennington knocked off Kris Yee, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 and then Nils Ellefson got the win over Anton Kovrigin at No. 6.
Vanderbilt knotted things up at 2-all with a win at No. 1 from Austin. No. 17 Austin got the win in straight sets over 11th-ranked Jomby, 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Kentucky would go on to take the next two to clinch the match against the `Dores. Rhys Johnson fell at No. 4, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and then Jeffrey Offerdahl lost a three-setter against Grant Roberts, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Lipman went unfinished at No. 2 against 85th-ranked Alejandro Gomez, up 3-0 in the third set.
The Commodores will close the regular season next weekend in Nashville, facing Florida on Friday and South Carolina on Sunday.
#14 Kentucky 4, #26 Vanderbilt 2
Singles competition
1. #17 Gonzales Austin (VU) def. #11 Tom Jomby (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
2. #85 Alejandro Gomez (UK) vs. #57 Ryan Lipman (VU) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 0-3, unfinished
3. #90 Beck Pennington (UK) def. Kris Yee (VU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Jerry Lopez (UK) def. Rhys Johnson (VU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1
5. Grant Roberts (UK) def. Jeffrey Offerdahl (VU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Nils Ellefson (UK) def. Anton Kovrigin (VU) 7-5, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #4 Ryan Lipman/Gonzales Austin (VU) def. #31 Tom Jomby/Kevin Lai (UK) 8-7 (7-0)
2. Alejandro Gomez/Beck Pennington (UK) def. Rhys Johnson/Anton Kovrigin (VU) 8-3
3. Ryan Smith/Suresh Eswaran (VU) def. Ryuji Hirooka/Nils Ellefson (UK) 8-7 (17-15)
Match Notes:
Vanderbilt 13-8, 4-6 SEC; National ranking #26
Kentucky 16-7, 8-2 SEC; National ranking #14
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,6,1,4,5)
T-3:44
