April 13, 2003
NOTRE DAME Ind. – The 60th-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team (7-12) lost 5-2 to No.12 Kentucky (17-10), on Sunday in Lexington. The Irish will wrap up the regular season against #69 Indiana State at home on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. (EST).
The Irish won the first match in doubles play with sophomore Brent D’Amico (Castle Rock, Colo./St. Stephen’s Episcopal School) and junior tri-captain Matthew Scott (Oakton, Va./International School of Paris) defeating Karim Benmansour and Matt Emery 8-3. The Wildcats rallied to win the point and charge into singles play. Ranked 55th in the nation, the team of Rahim Esmail and Jesse Witten beat senior tri-captain Brian Farrell (Lilburn, Ga./St. Pius X H.S.) and junior tri-captain Luis Haddock (Caguas, P.R./Notre Dame H.S.) 8-6. Clinching the point for Kentucky was Evan Austin and Alex Hume, with an 8-6 win over junior Ben Hatten (Potomac, Md./Winston Churchill H.S.) and sophmore Paul McNaughton (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central High).
The Wildcats jumped to a 3-0 lead quickly with Austin beating Scott 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 2 position and 16th-ranked Witten picking up a win over Haddock 7-5, 6-3. The Irish had a chance to turn things around with Farrell and Esmail in the third set at the No. 4 position, but Esmail came out on top 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, clinching the win for the Wildcats. At No. 3, 100th-ranked Benmansour put Kentucky up 5-0 with a victory over D’Amico 6-4, 6-4. The Irish took the last two matches on the court with Nicolas Lopez-Acevedo (Guaynbo P.R./Colegio Marista) beating Emery 7-6, 6-4 and freshman Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, Calif./Servite H.S.) picking up a three-set win over Hume 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. . ` #12 Kentucky 5, #60 Notre Dame 2
Singles
No. 1: #16 Jesse Witten (UK) d. #97 Luis Haddock (ND) 7-5, 6-3
No. 2: Evan Austin (UK) d. Matthew Scott (ND) 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: #100 Karim Benmansour (UK) d. Brent D’Amico (ND) 6-4, 6-4
No. 4: *Rahim Esmail (UK) d. Brian Farrell (ND) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 5: Nicolas Lopez-Acevedo (ND) d. Matt Emery (UK) 7-6, 6-4
No. 6: Patrick Buchanan (ND) d. Alex Hume (UK) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 4*, 3, 5, 6
Doubles
No. 1: D’Amico/Scott (ND) d. Benmansour/Emery (UK) 8-3
No. 2: #55 Esmail/Witten (UK) d. Farrell/Haddock (ND) 8-6
No. 3: *Austin/Hume (UK) d. Ben Hatten/Paul McNaughton (ND) 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
* denotes clinching match
Team Records: Notre Dame 7-12, Kentucky 17-10
— ND —