LEXINGTON, Ky. — The LSU men’s tennis team dropped another close Southeastern Conference match on Sunday, as the Tigers were derailed, 4-2, by the seventh-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Ky.
With the loss, LSU fell to an overall record of 5-10 on the season and dropped to an 0-8 record versus conference opponents. Nine of the Tigers’ 10 dual-match losses this year have come against opponents ranked among the nation’s top 25.
No. 7-ranked Kentucky improved to a 14-6 overall record on the season and upped its SEC record to 5-3. With the win, the Wildcats snapped a three-match losing streak. Kentucky came into Sunday’s match after suffering losses to No. 16 Baylor, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
LSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the contest by winning the doubles point. The Tigers’ combination of Dan Kiernan and Jason Hazley handily defeated Kentucky’s duo of Evan Austin and Karim Benmansour, 8-5, on court No. 1, while LSU’s No. 3 pair of Bryan Fisher and Jesse Smatt rallied to knock off the Wildcats’ tandem of Johan Grunditz and Gustav Pousette, 8-3.
In singles play, Kentucky showed why it is the seventh-ranked team in the country as the Wildcats won in four of the five completed matches. LSU’s lone singles win came on court No. 3 as Smatt stunned Kentucky’s Austin, 7-6(5), 7-5. With the win, the Tigers’ emotional senior earned his fourth win of the season.
The LSU men’s tennis team will next be in action on Wednesday, April 3, as the Tigers host the Southern Methodist Mustangs at 2 p.m. at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
#7 Kentucky 4, LSU 2
Doubles
No. 1 Hazley/Kiernan (LSU) def. Austin/Benmansour (UK), 8-5
No. 2 Esmail/Witten (UK) vs. Cory Ross/Rutka (LSU), susp.
No. 3 Fisher/Smatt (LSU) def. Grunditz/Pousette (UK), 8-3
Singles
No. 1 #5 Jesse Witten (UK) def. #87 Dan Kiernan (LSU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 #67 Karim Benmansour (UK) def. Peter Richman (LSU), 7-6(4), 6-4
No. 3 Jesse Smatt (LSU) def. Evan Austin (UK), 7-6(5), 7-5
No. 4 #94 Gustav Pousette (UK) def. Jason Hazley (LSU), 7-6(4), 7-6(5)
No. 5 #86 Johan Grunditz (UK) def. Bryan Fisher (LSU), 7-5, 6-0
No. 6 Rahim Esmail (UK) vs. Sebastian Rutka (LSU), susp.
Overall Records: LSU 5-10, 0-8, Kentucky 14-6, 5-3