No. 12 Wildcats eliminate Hogs 4-2

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 47 University of Arkansas men’s tennis team was on the losing end of a four hour battle Thursday, falling 4-2 to the No. 12-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Yarbrough Tennis Center on the Auburn University campus.“You have to give Kentucky credit for how well they played,” head Arkansas coach Robert Cox said. “We played well too, but we came up a bit short.”

Strong from the get-go, the Hogs (10-14, 2-10) took the doubles point from the Cats (17-9, 7-5) with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.

Taylor King and partner Matt Walters powered through their match with Alberto Gonzalez and Alex Musialek on Court 3, getting the late break for a 9-7 victory. Dmitry Lebedev and Matt Hogan clinched the doubles point for the Razorbacks with their, 9-8(4), win over Graeme Dyce and Eric Quigley.

“Doubles was very good for us today,” Cox said. “I’m happy with the way we played out there.”

Play started well for Arkansas in singles, as sophomore Hog Chris Nott wasted no time dismissing Kentucky’s Brad Cox, 6-2, 6-1 to put the Hogs up 2-1.

The Cats came back to tie the score at two with wins at No. 6 singles where King fell to Gonzalez, 6-0. 6-3 and at No. 3 singles as the No. 119 Quigley defeated Hogan, 6-1, 6-1.

Kentucky’s first lead of the night came when Dyce secured a win on Court 5 over the Razorbacks’ Tyler Tarnasky, 7-6(1), 6-2, giving the Wildcats the 3-1 edge.

The match came down to the wire as No. 14-ranked Blake Strode forced a third set in his match against No. 5 Bruno Agostinelli and Musialek evened the score at a set apiece on Court 4, playing against Lebedev.

Strode, who beat Agostinelli in Lexington, Ky. last month, would not complete his comeback against the Cat as Musialek took control at No. 4 singles, winning the third set and the match against Lebedev, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, advancing the Cats to the second round of the SEC Tournament.

For more information on Razorbacks men’s tennis, visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

#12 Kentucky 4, #47 Arkansas 2SEC Tournament – First RoundApril 23, 2009Auburn, Ala.Singles1. #5 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) led. #14 Blake Strode (UA), 7-5, 6-7(6), 1-0, DNF2. Chris Nott (UA) def. Brad Cox (UK), 6-2, 6-13. #119 Eric Quigley (UK) def. Matt Hogan (UA), 6-1, 6-14. Alex Musialek (UK) def. Dmitry Lebedev (UA), 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-35. Graeme Dyce (UK) def. Tyler Tarnasky (UA), 7-6(1), 6-26. Alberto Gonzalez (UK) def. Taylor King (UA), 6-0, 6-3

Doubles1. #20 Bruno Agostinelli/Brad Cox (UK) def. Blake Strode/Chris Nott (UA), 8-32. Matt Hogan/Dmitry Lebedev (UA) def. Graeme Dyce/Eric Quigley (UK), 9-8(4)3. Taylor King/Matt Walters (UA) def. Alberto Gonzalez/Alex Musialek (UK), 9-7

Order of Finish:Doubles: 1, 3, 2*Singles: 2, 6, 3, 5, 4*