Feb. 11, 1997

No. 18 Kentucky Knocks off Notre Dame

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 18-ranked University of Kentucky men’stennis team (5-0 overall) cruised to a dual-match victory over No.29-ranked Notre Dame Tuesday at the Hilary J. Boone Indoor TennisCenter.

The Wildcats swept the six singles matches and lost the doubles point todefeat the Fighting Irish, 6-1.

UK clinched the match at No. 2 singles. Senior Ludde Sundin, ranked No.5 in the collegiate tennis rankings, battled back from down one set todefeat No. 63-ranked Jakob Pietrowski, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Sundin wasdown a break at 4-5 in the second set before rallying to win the match.

No. 6-ranked Cedric Kauffmann continues to play outstanding tennis. Kauffmann, who is 13-4 on the year, easily defeated No. 38-ranked RyanSachire, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 1 singles. Junior Marcus Fluitt used anoverpowering serve and volley game to cruise to a 6-4, 6-3 victory overBrian Patterson at No. 3 singles.

UK also got wins from Carlos Drada at No. 4 singles, Dan Spaner at No. 5singles and Ariel Gaitan at No. 6 singles. Drada and Spaner won both oftheir matches in three sets, while Gaitan won in two sets.

Notre Dame earned the first point of the overall match by winning two ofthe three doubles matches. Pietrowski and Patterson defeated Fluitt andDrada at No. 1 singles, 8-3. Notre Dame also won at No. 3 doubles asSachire and Trent Miller defeated Spaner and Gaitan, 8-5. UK did takethe No. 2 doubles match, 8-4, as Kauffmann and Sundin defeated RyanSimme and Daniel Rothschild.

UK will face No. 10-ranked South Alabama Thursday at 6 p.m. at the BooneIndoor Tennis Center.

Kentucky 6, Notre Dame 1

Singles
Kauffmann, UK, def. Sachire, ND, 6-4, 6-3
Sundin, UK, def. Pietrowski, ND, 3-6, 7-6 (4) 6-2
Fluitt, UK, def. Patterson, ND, 6-4, 6-3
Drada, UK, def. Simme, ND, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Spaner, UK, def. Rothschild, ND, 6-7 (3) 6-1, 7-6(3)
Gaitan, UK, def. Enloe, ND, 6-2, 6-4

Doubles
Pietrowski/Patterson, ND, def. Fluitt/Drada, UK, 8-3
Kauffmann/Sundin, UK, def. Simme/Rothschild, ND, 8-4
Sachire/Miller, ND, def. Spaner/Gaitan, UK, 8-5