Arkansas men fall on road at Kentucky to start weekend

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Arkansas fell to 8-6 on the year and 1-2 in Southeastern Conference play Friday night, falling to Kentucky 5-2 on the road.

Kentucky took the doubles point to start the match, as Jose Salazar and Josh Howard-Tripp fell 6-1 on court 1, while Oscar Mesquida and Adam Sanjurjo lost 6-0 on court two. At the clinch, Alex Reco and Pedro Alonso were tied 2-2 on court three.

To start off singles, Mesquida fell quickly to Enzo Wallart 6-2, 6-0 to put Arkansas in the hole, 0-2. The Razorbacks were able to get a point back, getting on the board with a win on court four by Reco, who defeated Trey Yates in a battle, 7-5, 5-7, 7-5. Reco improves to 8-2 this spring, including a 1-0 mark on court four. Overall this season, Reco is 11-7 and 2-1 against SEC competition.

Kentucky would run away with the match, picking up wins on courts one, two, five and six to close things out. No. 84 Salazar fell to No. 43 Ryotaro Matsumura 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead, before they would clinch it with a win on two by Will Bushamuka, who defeated Howard-Tripp 7-6, 5-7, 4-6.

Alonso would fall 6-3, 6-4 to Austin Hussey to give the Cats a 5-1 lead, before his brother Jose, would pick up Arkansas’ second point of the match, defeating Jake Stefanik 6-4, 7-5.

Arkansas returns to action Sunday in Nashville, as the Razorbacks take on the Vanderbilt Commodores at 12 p.m.

Kentucky 5, Arkansas 2

Singles Results – Order of finish (3,4,1,2,5,6)
1. #43 Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. #84 Jose Salazar (AR) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
2. Will Bushamuka (UK) def. Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-4
3. Enzo Wallart (UK) def. Oscar Mesquida (AR) 6-2, 6-0
4. Alex Reco (AR) def. Trey Yates (UK) 7-5, 5-7, 7-5
5. Austin Hussey (UK) def. Pedro Alonso (AR) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jose Alonso (AR) def. Jake Stefanik (UK) 6-4, 7-5

 Doubles Results – Order of finish (1,2)
1. Cesar Bourgois/Gus Benson (UK) def. Jose Salazar/Josh Howard-Tripp (AR) 6-1
2. Enzo Wallart/Ryotaro Matsumura (UK) def. Oscar Mesquida/Adam Sanjurjo (AR) 6-0
3. Austin Hussey/Will Bushamuka (UK) vs. Alex Reco/Pedro Alonso (AR) 2-2, unfinished