University of Georgia
Kentucky
Rowe Delivers Georgia’s Third-Straight SEC Win
March 26, 2021 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — With the match tied at 3-3, Georgia's Billy Rowe won a thriller at court five to lift the Bulldogs' men's tennis team to a 4-3 victory against the No. 20-ranked Kentucky Wildcats Friday evening.
Rowe bounced back from a first-set defeat to win his match against Yasha Zemel, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. The Coronado, Calif., native broke a Zemel serve in the final game to earn the win and secure the Bulldogs' fourth victory in its last five matches.
No. 13-ranked Georgia improves to 10-5 overall and evens its SEC record to 4-4. The Wildcats fall to 14-4 and 4-3 in league action.
"We just showed a tremendous amount of fight and toughness," associate head coach Jamie Hunt said. "That has been our key message the last few weeks, that is just be tough. Be Georgia tough. We are so proud of our guys. That was a very good Kentucky team, a tough Kentucky team. We were just relentless on every court. Billy was just phenomenal. Losing the first set and not doubting himself and coming back and winning a tough second set. The third, it was a battle. I am so proud of how he came through at the end. He played to win and really trusted himself."
Georgia's seventh-ranked duo of Trent Bryde and Tyler Zink seized momentum in doubles, taking two early breaks to go up 4-0. The Bulldog tandem won its fourth-straight match of the year — this time against the 20th-ranked Kentucky combo of Cesar Bourgois and Gabriel Diallo, 6-1.
Philip Henning and Erik Grevelius built a 4-1 advantage at court three and staved off the Wildcats to clinch the doubles point in 6-2 fashion.
Up 1-0, the Bulldogs picked up three first-set wins on the singles courts.
Kentucky evened the match at 1-1 with Gabriel Diallo's 6-1, 6-1 win against Zink. Blake Croyder quickly answered back with his 6-4, 6-4 victory against Cesar Bourgois at No. 4.
Kentucky's Joshua Lapadate gave the visitors the answer with his 6-2, 6-3 triumph against Grevelius.
With the match knotted at 2-2, Bryde and Henning were each locked in back-and-forth battles at courts one and three. 20th-ranked Bryde roared past 22nd-ranked Draxl 6-2 in the first set, but could not hold off his Wildcat counterpart in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.
Within minutes of Bryde's loss, Henning delivered the return winner on a Millen Hurrion serve to secure a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win.
Every spectator in the Dan Magill Tennis Complex headed down to 'The Pit' and court five to watch Rowe clinch the contest for the home team.
Next up, Georgia hosts Vanderbilt at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Tennis Match Results Kentucky vs Georgia
Mar 25, 2021 at Athens, Ga. (Dan Magill Tennis Complex)
#13 Georgia 4, #20 Kentucky 3
Singles
1. #22 Liam Draxl (UK) def. #20 Trent Bryde (GA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. #46 Gabriel Diallo (UK) def. #68 Tyler Zink (GA) 6-1, 6-1
3. #29 Philip Henning (GA) def. #125 Millen Hurrion (UK) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
4. Blake Croyder (GA) def. Cesar Bourgois (UK) 6-4, 6-3
5. Billy Rowe (GA) def. Yasha Zemel (UK) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
6. #84 Joshua Lapadat (UK) def. Erik Grevelius (GA) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
1. #7 Trent Bryde/Tyler Zink (GA) def. #20 Cesar Bourgois/Gabriel Diallo (UK) 6-1
2. Millen Hurrion/Liam Draxl (UK) def. #64 Billy Rowe/Blake Croyder (GA) 4-3
3. Philip Henning/Erik Grevelius (GA) def. Yasha Zemel/Joshua Lapadat (UK) 6-2
Match Notes:
Kentucky 14-4, 4-3; National ranking #20
Georgia 10-5, 4-4; National ranking #13
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,4,6,1,3,5)
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Players Mentioned
