University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennis Vols Fall to Kentucky 4-2
February 09, 2002 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 9, 2002
Louisville, Ky.-- The fourth-ranked Tennessee tennis team was upset by No. 23 Kentucky Saturday in the consolation rounds of the National Team Indoor Championships being held at the Louisville Tennis Center. The Vols (5-2) now stand at 37-18 all-time against the Wildcats.
The day began well for the Big Orange, when Tennessee came out and won their second straight doubles point and a 1-0 lead by winning two of the three doubles matches. The Vol duo of Adam Carey and Mark Henderson got the team started, with an 8-5 victory over Matt Emery and Gustav Pousette in the No. 3 match. Kentucky (7-2) then evened the segment, with an 8-5 win by Jesse Witten and Rahim Esmail over Mario Toledo and Andy Crews in the No. 2 match. Tennessee then captured the matches' first point, when Mark Dietrich and Jake Olsen won the No. 1 match 9-7 over Evan Austin and Karim Benmansour.
Kentucky then captured their first win over a (UT head coach Michael) Fancutt-coached Vol squad by winning four of the five completed singles matches. Rahim Esmail put the Wildcats on the board, with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Henderson in the No. 6 match. Tennessee would then go back up 2-1, when senior Adam Carey defeated Karim Benmansour in the No. 1 match. Kentucky then evened the match at two, when Matt Emery defeated Tennessee's Olsen 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 4 match. The Wildcat's then captured the match, with wins by No. 10-ranked Witten and Austin over Toledo and Dietrich in the No. 1 and 2 matches respectively.
"Kentucky just killed us down at the bottom (of the lineup)," UT head coach Michael Fancutt said. "We had a lot of disappointment today, but I just want to say that Mario (Toledo) and Adam (Carey) have been outstanding for us throughout this tournament. They have just been great with leadership and performance."
The Vols will next be in action Saturday, Feb. 23, at home against ninth-ranked Duke. The Blue Devils defeated the Vols 4-1 Friday night in the first round of the National Team Indoor Championships. Admission to the match will be free.
| #23 Kentucky 4, #4 Tennessee 2 |
| Doubles |
| 1.Dietrich/Olsen (UT) def. Austin/Benmansour (UK) 9-7 |
| 2.Witten/Esmail(UK) def. Toledo/Crews (UT) 8-5 |
| 3.Carey/Henderson (UT) def. Emery/Pousette (UK) 8-5 |
| Singles |
| 1.Adam Carey (UT) def. Karim Benmansour (UK) 6-2,6-3 |
| 2.(10) Jesse Witten (UK) def. (14) Mario Toledo (UT) 6-3,6-4 |
| 3.Evan Austin (UK) def. (67) Mark Dietrich (UT) 6-4,6-4 |
| 4.Matt Emery (UK) def. Jake Olsen (UT) 6-2,6-4 |
| 5.Wade Orr (UT) vs. Gustav Pousette (UK) DNF (6-1,4-3) |
| 6.Rahim Esmail (UK) def. Mark Henderson (UT) 6-2,6-2 |
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