University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomores Niklas Gerdes and Simon Bustamante scored a win at No. 1 doubles in the Mocs dual at Kentucky today. The Wildcats took the match 4-0, dropping the Mocs overall record to 2-4.
Gerdes and Bustamante defeated Kentucky's top tandem of Cesar Bourgois and Enzo Wallart 6-4. The Mocs almost took the doubles point, but lost 6-4 at No. 3.
Kentucky (4-2) won three singles matches in straight sets to secure the team win.
"I am very pleased with our performance," stated head coach Chuck Merzbacher. "We had a great doubles point and there were some close first-set tiebreakers in singles that could have changed the match dramatically. Our kids played hard and played well."
Junior Pablo Llebeili and freshman Jacob Marshall both pushed their first sets to tiebreaks before losing at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
Chattanooga has a stop in Nashville on the way back to the Scenic City. The Mocs face Belmont on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 5:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) at the Centennial Sportsplex.
Kentucky 4, Chattanooga 0
Feb 02, 2018 at Lexington, Ky. (Boone Tennis Center)
Doubles competition
1. Niklas Gerdes/Simon Bustamante (UTC) def. Cesar Bourgois/Enzo Wallart (KENTUCKY) 6-4
2. Gus Benson/Will Bushamuka (KENTUCKY) def. Pablo Llebeili/Luke Plaisted (UTC) 6-1
3. Kento Yamada/Jake Stefanik (KENTUCKY) def. Jacob Marshall/Cooper Long (UTC) 6-4
Singles competition
1. #84 Will Bushamuka (KENTUCKY) vs. Niklas Gerdes (UTC) 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
2. Trey Yates (KENTUCKY) def. Pablo Llebeili (UTC) 7-6 (3), 6-2
3. #77 Alex Dominguez (KENTUCKY) def. Luke Plaisted (UTC) 7-6 (4), 6-3
4. Cesar Bourgois (KENTUCKY) def. Jacob Marshall (UTC) 6-1, 6-2
5. Jake Stefanik (KENTUCKY) vs. Cooper Long (UTC) 4-1, unfinished
6. Kento Yamada (KENTUCKY) vs. Michael Birnbaum (UTC) unfinished