Freshmen Lead #2 Kentucky MTEN to Victory Over Rival #23 Louisville

0

In a highly anticipated rivalry match, the No. 2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats (9-0) defeated the No. 23 Louisville Cardinals (5-2) on Friday evening, 4-3. Freshmen Jaden Weekes and Charlelie Cosnet played key roles in securing the victory for the Wildcats, earning the final two points at five and six singles.

The match started with a setback for Kentucky, as they dropped the doubles point for the second time this season. However, the bottom of the Wildcats’ lineup stepped up in singles play, with Taha Baadi earning the first point for Kentucky with a 6-1, 6-4 win over No. 121 Matthew Fung. Graduate-transfer Alafia Ayeni then tied the match at two with a crucial win over No. 26 Fabien Salle, 7-5, 7-6 (5).

Despite Louisville regaining the lead, Weekes and Cosnet proved to be unfazed by the deficit and the hostile Cardinal crowd. Weekes equalized the match at three with a hard-fought win at fifth singles, while Cosnet proved to be the ultimate hero, breaking the 3-3 tie with his three-set triumph over David Mizrahi on court six.

With the wins, both Weekes and Cosnet remain unbeaten in singles play this season, with records of 5-0 and 4-0, respectively. Kentucky will return home to host Duke on Sunday, with free admission and free pizza and pom poms for those in attendance.

The Wildcats’ comeback victory over Louisville showcases the strength and potential of the team’s talented freshmen, and will serve as a confidence boost heading into future matches.

Doubles:  

No. 1 – No. 13 Salle/Rodrigues (UL) def. Draxl/Ayeni (UK): 6-3 

No. 2 – Weekes/LeBlanc (UK) vs. Mizrahi/Fung: 4-5 (unfinished) 

No. 3 – Donnet/Hernandez (UL) def. LeBlanc/Mercer (UK): 6-1     

Order of finish: 3, 1 

Singles:  

No. 1 No. 47 Natan Rodrigues (UL) def. No. 45 Liam Draxl (UK): 6-2, 6-3 

No. 2 No. 66 Alafia Ayeni (UK) def. No. 26 Fabien Salle (UL): 7-5, 7-6 (5) 

No. 3 No. 53 Etienne Donnet (UL) def. No. 16 Joshua Lapadat (UK): 6-4, 6-4 

No. 4 No. 115 Taha Baadi (UK) def. No. 121 Matthew Fung (UL): 6-1, 6-4 

No. 5 Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Sergio Hernandez (NKU): 7-5, 7-5 

No. 6 No. 57 Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. David Mizrahi (UL): 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 

Order of finish: 4, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6