No. 6 Kentucky men's tennis rolls the Tide in Tuscaloosa

Here come the ‘Cats, ladies and gentlemen. The win streak has hit five matches after Kentucky men’s tennis dismantled Alabama 6-1 on Saturday. The Wildcats are rolling in conference play now with an overall record of 17-2 (5-1). The Alabama road trip was successful over the course of three days, with a victory at Auburn kickstarting the away-win avalanche.

Winning away from Lexington is no problem for this Kentucky team. The ‘Cats are 6-0 in road matches this season. Keep those hostile environments coming and these dudes will continue to deliver. Once again, the stellar play came in doubles. The one-time ghost that haunted Kentucky earlier on in the season has now become one of its fortes.

In a mirrored effort from doubles action on Thursday vs. Auburn, the Wildcats saw two wins from familiar faces against the Tide. The No. 1 doubles pair of Alafia Ayeni and Taha Baadi won their set 6-4. Jaden Weekes and Liam Draxl cruised in their matchup 6-1. Kentucky had secured a 1-0 lead over Alabama as doubles play dwindled down.

Safe to say Kentucky has found its working doubles rotation. Watch out. This loaded roster has unlimited potential if singles and doubles are clocking.

Sturdy singles

The constant bombardment of singles wins this season has been Kentucky’s identity so far. Jaden Weekes was fantastic yet again during singles. The freshman has everything rolling for him lately. He’s the man you should be bringing to a casino if you’re feeling lucky. Weekes cruised to a straight-set 6-4, 6-1 win to double Kentucky’s lead 2-0.

𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐍, 𝐘'𝐀𝐋𝐋

😼2, 🐘0
1⃣No. 23 Draxl⬆️6-3, 4-3
2⃣No. 28 Ayeni ⬆️6-3, 4-2
3⃣No. 47 Lapadat⬇️3-6, 4-1
4⃣No. 102 Baadi ⬇️4-6, 2-2
5⃣Weekes✅6-4, 6-1
6⃣No. 112 Cosnet⬇️2-6, 5-1

📊https://t.co/BVXoFmzYL6
📺https://t.co/DAEtYwTbuP#WeAreUK | #UKRising pic.twitter.com/CA5yEQ1GHL

— Kentucky Men's Tennis (@UKMensTennis) March 18, 2023

Next up was Ayeni, who kept his undefeated day going with a straight-set win. Ayeni won 6-3, 6-2 and the ‘Cats had firm control of the match, needing one more point to sweep Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Kentucky would have to wait out one match before snatching the road win. Charlelie Cosnet fell in three sets as Bama got one point back before the ITA All-American put the match away.

That All-American? Only Liam Draxl, no big deal. He’s showing just how dangerous he can be as Kentucky’s top singles player. Draxl cemented the Wildcat win over the course of three sets. He claimed the opener 6-3 but then fell 7-5 in the second set. An all-important third set went Draxl’s way as he controlled the final set 6-2. Kentucky secured their fifth-straight win when Draxl made the match 4-1.

Both squads played out the remaining two matches and Kentucky took two more points. Baadi won in three sets and Joshua Lapadat got his first victory of the day, bringing the ultimate score to 6-1. The Tide were beaten down at home after it was all said and done. The ‘Cats kept their fire going.

Back to Lexington

It’s friendly territory next up for the Wildcats with a Boone Tennis Complex homestand on the menu. It’s the two Mississippi SEC squads coming to town to face off with Kentucky next week. Ole Miss is first up on Friday afternoon with Mississippi State on deck for a Sunday showdown.

The No. 14 Bulldogs pose an intriguing matchup for the ‘Cats. MSU has won already 14 matches this season, so two experienced squads will take the hardcourt on Sunday. That being said, it all begins with Ole Miss. Tennis weekends continue to deliver, and we’re here for it.