LEXINGTON, Ky. — The eighth-ranked LSU men’s tennis team upended Kentucky 5-2 on the road late Friday night despite playing without senior captain Tom Hand.
The win improved LSU to 18-3 on the season and 8-2 in conference play. Kentucky fell to 11-12 on the year and 4-6 in Southeastern Conference action.
The Tigers dominated the top half of the singles line up in winning at Nos. 1-3 to cruise to the victory.
Sophomore Dan Kiernan’s 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win over Gustav Pousette at the No. 3 spot clinched the win for LSU. Ajay Ramaswami pulled off his biggest win of the season as he knocked off 25th-ranked Carlos Drada in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, on court two.
Michal Chmela, ranked 21st, won when his opponent, No. 83 Johan Hesoun, retired in the third set. Chmela was leading 6-2, 3-6, 6-5 at the time.
Also winning in singles for the Tigers was freshman John Gray Pou. The Shreveport, La., native, seeing his first SEC action, won at No. 6 over Reven Stephens, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The Tigers also won the doubles point with wins at Nos. 1 and 3. The 17th-ranked tandem of Chmela and Kiernan beat Johan Grunditz and Pousette 8-6. Jesse Smatt and Ramaswami defeated Drada and Stephens 8-6 as well.
Hand, LSU’s highest ranked player at No. 19, did not play due to a sprained ankle suffered last weekend in the loss to Tennessee.
LSU travels to Athens, Ga., on Sunday for a match with the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers have beaten Georgia in four of the teams last five meetings.
#8 LSU 5, #32 Kentucky 2
Lexington, Ky.
April 18, 2000
SINGLES
No. 1 #21 Michal Chmela (LSU) def. #82 Johan Hesoun (UK), 6-2, 3-6, 6-5, ret.
No. 2 Ajay Ramaswami (LSU) def. No. 25 Carlos Drada (UK), 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 Dan Kiernan (LSU) def. Gustav Pousette (UK), 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
No. 4 Edo Bawono, UK def. Jesse Smatt, LSU 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 Johan Grunditz, UK def. No. 100 Ed Rubin, LSU 7-6, 3-6, 2-2 ret.
No. 6 John Gray Pou (LSU) def. Reven Stephens (UK), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
DOUBLES
No. 1 #17 Chmela-Kiernan (LSU) def. Grunditz-Pousette (UK), 8-6
No. 2 Hesoun-Bawano (UK) def. Rubin-Mateljan (LSU), 8-6
No. 3 Smatt-Ramaswami (LSU) def. Drada-Stephens (UK), 8-6