#5 Vols Roll Past Alabama in 7-0 Sweep

Friday, April 15

Knoxville, TN

4 PM

University of Tennessee

Alabama

April 15, 2022 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fifth-ranked Tennessee men's tennis team controlled the match from start to finish Friday afternoon, dominating Alabama in sweeping fashion, 7-0 at Barksdale Stadium.

The win marks No. 19 on the season for the Vols, improving Tennessee's home record to 10-3 this year.

"It's obviously good to win," head coach Chris Woodruff said. "At this stage of the year, I'm not really worried about how it looks. We've done what we can to prepare. We have to go out there, play relaxed, stay fresh and keep being reliable at our spots. Basically, it's just a matter of understanding what's coming down the stretch and executing under pressure."

Tennessee (19-6, 7-4 SEC) opened the match by clinching the doubles point, winning on courts two and one. The 32^nd-ranked pairing of Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui breezed past Enzo Aguiard and Juan Martin of Alabama, winning 6-2.

Court two saw the 43rd-ranked pairing of Adam Walton and Pat Harper rally from down a break at 0-3 to tie the match a 4-4, before an eventual 6-4 victory to seal the deal and give the Vols a 1-0 advantage.

"Pat and I have been very close for a very long time," Walton said. "During COVID-19, we were training a lot back home together. We actually hadn't played much doubles together in college before that. Then, last year, Woody (Chris Woodruff) wanted to pair us together. We always had that off-court chemistry and were always very close, but we never knew that we would work in the way that we have. Pat is very fast-twitched and quick around the net, so I just try to be the most stable guy as possible in doubles and it seems to work really well like that. It's a fire and ice combination. It's special what we've been able to do."

Johannus Monday and Mark Wallner led Alabama's German Samofalov and Joao Ferreira 5-3 when that match went unfinished.

With the UT win, Alabama (8-19, 0-11 SEC) remains winless in conference action this dual season.

In singles play, Mitsui was the first to finish, taking care of business with a straight-set, 6-2, 6-1 win over German Samofalov on court four. On court two, #8 Monday earned a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Patrick Kaukovalta of Alabama, extending Tennessee's lead to 3-0. The match's clinch came on court three from #75 Hudd, as he trounced Enzo Aguiard by a score of 6-1, 6-4. Hudd leads the team with six clinches this season.

With the match in hand at 4-0, #12 Walton soon followed Hudd's victory with one of his own, taking down #36 Filip Planinsek in straights 6-3, 6-4. Freshman Conor Gannon persevered after dropping set one to Zach Foster, winning 6-7(0), 6-2, 1-0 (10-8). Junior Angel Diaz completed the Big Orange sweep by winning his second-set tiebreak and taking the match in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).

FIRST 7-0 SEC SWEEP THIS SEASON
Tennessee's convincing win Friday was its first 7-0 sweep over an SEC foe since sweeping Vanderbilt 7-0 at home on March 26 last season.

APPROACHING THE CENTURY MARK
After earning his 97th career doubles triumph Friday against Alabama, Walton now stands three doubles victories away from 100. Reaching this feat would make him just the sixth Vol in program history to accrue 100 career doubles and 100 career singles wins.

UP NEXT
Tennessee's Senior Day is Sunday, as it hosts Auburn at 1 p.m. ET. Presentations for Tennessee's Adam Walton and Mark Wallner will begin at 12:45 p.m. ET, so please allow ample time for parking and stadium entry.

RESULTS
Doubles

1. #43 Pat Harper/Adam Walton (UT) def. Filip Planinsek/Patrick Kaukovalta (UA) 6-4
2. #32 Emile Hudd/Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. Enzo Aguiard/Juan Martin (UA) 6-2
3. Johannus Monday/Mark Wallner (UT) vs. German Samofalov/Joao Ferreira (UA) 5-3, unfinished

Order of Finish: (2,1)

Singles

1. #12 Adam Walton (UT) def. #36 Filip Planinsek (UA) 6-3, 6-4
2. #8 Johannus Monday (UT) def. Patrick Kaukovalta (UA) 6-3, 6-2
3. #75 Emile Hudd (UT) def. Enzo Aguiard (UA) 6-1, 6-4
4. Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. German Samofalov (UA) 6-2, 6-1
5. Angel Diaz (UT) def. Joao Ferreira (UA) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Conor Gannon (UT) def. Zach Foster (UA) 6-7 (0-7), 6-2, 1-0 (10-8)

Order of Finish: (4,2,3,1,6,5)