Kentucky men's tennis isn't done yet, NCAA Singles Tournament began Monday night

If you’re thinking Kentucky men’s tennis season is wrapped up, then you’re wrong.

The Wildcats were bounced from the NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament in the Elite Eight not too long ago by the Virginia Cavaliers. But UK has three representatives competing in the NCAA Singles Tournament. The individual event kicked off on Monday night for the ‘Cats.

Monday was the opening round of the NCAA Singles Tournament. Two of the three Wildcats were able to advance to the Round of 32, which begins later on Tuesday. Liam Draxl and Joshua Lapadat kept their postseason singles dreams alive, while Alafia Ayeni was cut short of advancing in the tournament.

Kentucky’s singles duo now faces an incredibly quick turnaround for Round of 32 action which will begin this afternoon. One thing is certain about tennis in Orlando though. Stay on your toes for weather delays.

𝙍𝙊𝙐𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 32 𝙎𝘾𝙃𝙀𝘿𝙐𝙇𝙀

Draxl vs. Jacob Fearnley (TCU) – 1:30 p.m.
Lapadat vs. Chris Rodesch (UVA) – 3 p.m.

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— Kentucky Men's Tennis (@UKMensTennis) May 23, 2023

Day-One Rundown

ITA All-American and team captain, Liam Draxl, was the first one to punch his ticket to the Round of 32. Draxl’s opponent was Brian Cernoch of North Carolina. Kentucky’s long-time No. 1 singles option made quick work with Cernoch. Draxl was perfect in his first set, winning 6-0. The second set was more competitive with Draxl taking it 6-4. A straight-set Round of 64 victory for Draxl kicked off the night for Kentucky as Ayeni and Lapadat played their matches shortly after.

It was a late night in Orlando with multiple singles matches being delayed. Lapadat was the next Wildcat to grab a win. He beat Presbyterian’s Dusan Milanovic 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the Round of 32 alongside Draxl. However, the good news did come to a halt as Ayeni lost to James Trotter of Ohio State. Trotter was an impressive 27-0 in singles matches before matching up with Ayeni. Unfortunately for Ayeni, Trotter’s record would move to 28-0 as the Ohio State Buckeye was victorious over the course of three sets.

Today, Draxl will take on TCU’s Jacob Fearnley at 1:30 p.m. EST., while Lapadat faces off against UVA’s Chris Rodesch at 3:00 p.m. EST. Both Wildcats will hope to extend their time in Orlando in the NCAA Singles Tournament. You can livestream the action here.