The Kentucky men’s tennis team continued their dominant start to the spring season with a 7-0 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday. The win rounded out a successful weekend for the Wildcats, who also defeated the No. 1 ranked Virginia on Friday.
Kentucky began the day by taking the doubles point for the seventh time in eight matches this season. Second doubles pair Alexandre LeBlanc and Jaden Weekes clinched the point with a 6-2 result, while Joshua Lapadat and JJ Mercer remained undefeated on the year with a 6-4 victory at third doubles.
In singles, the Wildcats continued their dominance, taking the first set on all six courts. Taha Baadi was the first to finish his match, breezing past Manuel Goncalves at third singles with a 6-2, 6-3 victory. Weekes kept his singles record unblemished with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win at four singles, while Lapadat earned the clinching fourth point with a 7-5, 6-1 win over No. 121 Alvaro Ariza on court two.
The remaining matches were played out, with Alafia Ayeni picking up a straight-set victory over No. 32 Ryan Fishback at first singles and JJ Mercer battling to a 7-6 (1), 6-3 win. In the final match on court, UK freshman Charlelie Cosnet emerged victorious in a third-set tiebreaker, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), completing the sweep for the Wildcats.
The win marked the fourth time this season in which Kentucky held their opponent without a point. The Wildcats will be back in action on Friday to take on rival Louisville on the road. The match will begin at 5 p.m. at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.
Results
Doubles
Court 1: No. 13 Chrysostom/Fishback (VT) def. Ayeni/Draxl (UK) – 6-1
Court 2: LeBlanc/Weekes (UK) def. Ariza/Sculley (VT) – 6-2
Court 3: Lapadat/Mercer (UK) def. Orso/Harper (VT) – 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
Court 1: Alafia Ayeni (UK) def. No. 32 Ryan Fishback (VT) def.– 6-4, 7-6(4)
Court 2: No. 14 Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. No. 121 Alvaro Ariza – 7-5, 6-1
Court 3: No. 108 Taha Baadi (UK) def. Manuel Goncalves (VT) – 6-2, 6-3
Court 4: Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Hugo Maia (VT) – 6-1, 6-3
Court 5: Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Michael Shepheard (VT) – 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5)
Court 6: JJ Mercer (UK) def. Alberto Orso (VT) – 7-6 (1), 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 4, 2, 1, 6, 5