NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 4-seed Kentucky eliminated LSU from the SEC Tournament on Thursday, 4-0, despite a late surge by the No. 5-seed Tigers.
Rahim Esmail spoiled LSU’s comeback with a 7-6(6), 7-5 win over Sebastian Rutka on court No. 5.
The Tigers (17-6, 7-4 SEC) gave up the doubles point and quick wins on courts No. 1 and No. 3. Kentucky’s No. 65-ranked Tigran Mitirosyan beat Bryan Fisher on Court No. 3 and No. 5 Jesse Witten beat LSU’s No. 30 Ken Skupski at the No. 1 position.
LSU lost first sets on the first five courts, but Jason Hazley and Peter Richman were able to rally and force third sets on courts No. 2 and No. 4.
Rutka stayed with Esmail though a long final game, but Esmail was able to clinch the match point and the win for the Wildcats.
“We fought hard,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “We didn’t have a good day with shot-making, but Kentucky might have had something to do with that. I thought they played well today.”
LSU lost the doubles point for the first time in eleven matches, since their last meeting with the Wildcats.
“Losing the doubles point in the tiebreaker hurts and it takes a little while for the sting to wear off,” Brown said.
Skupski and Richman were the first of the courts with an 8-3 win on at the No. 3 position. But both of LSU’s ranked duos fell on the top two courts.
No. 44-ranked Rutka and Cory Ross lost their first match this season at No. 2 doubles to Evan Ausin and Alex Hume, 8-3.
LSU’s 16th-ranked Bryan Fisher and Jason Hazley fought Kentucky’s 23rd-ranked Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten, climbing back to a lead after a slow start. Hazley and Fisher led 5-3 in the tiebreaker, but Witten and Esmail rallied to clinch the doubles point with a 9-8 (5) win.
“We were fighting and that’s going to pay off for us going into the NCAA Tournament,” Brown said.
The Tigers now await their NCAA Tournament fate. Seedings and host sites will be announced May 6.
#15 Kentucky 5, #13 LSU 1
Singles competition:
1. #5 Jesse Witten (KEN) def. #30 Ken Skupski (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Jason Hazley (LSU) vs. Evan Austin (KEN) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 2-3, unfinished
3. #65 Tigran Martirosyan (KEN) def. Bryan Fisher (LSU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Peter Richman (LSU) vs. Nate Emge (KEN) 2-6, 7-5, 1-2, unfinished
5. Rahim Esmail (KEN) def. Sebastian Rutka (LSU) 7-6 (8-6), 7-5
6. Cory Ross (LSU) vs. Alex Hume (KEN) 6-3, unfinished
Doubles competition:
1. #23 Jesse Witten/Rahim Esmail (KEN) def. #16 Jason Hazley/Bryan Fisher (LSU) 9-8 (7-5)
2. Evan Austin/Alex Hume (KEN) def. #44 Cory Ross/Sebastian Rutka (LSU) 8-4
3. Ken Skupski/Peter Richman (LSU) def. Nate Emge/Tigran Martirosyan (KEN) 8-3
Match Notes:
Kentucky 18-8, 7-4 SEC; National ranking #15
LSU 17-6, 7-4 SEC; National ranking #13
Clinchers: Doubles (1) Match (5)
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1) Singles (3,1,5,-,-,-)