Were the Tennis Cats able to defeat the top-seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the NCAA tournament?

Kentucky was only the third team all season to win doubles against Wake Forest, how did the rest of the day go?
Texas Longhorn Eliot Spizzirri competes against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tennis Championship at The Edgar O. and Melanie A. Weller Tennis Center on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Austin.
Texas Longhorn Eliot Spizzirri competes against UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tennis Championship at The Edgar O. and Melanie A. Weller Tennis Center on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Austin. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

In a match that showcased resilience, precision, and belief, Kentucky men’s tennis nearly delivered the biggest upset of the NCAA Tournament.

Despite falling 4–1 to top-seeded Wake Forest on the road, the No. 32 Wildcats (17–12, 7–7 SEC) became only the third team all season to claim the doubles point against the No. 1 Demon Deacons (36–1, 13–0 ACC)—and they didn’t go down quietly.

💪 Wildcats strike first in doubles

Kentucky’s fight started early.

Behind gritty performances at the top and bottom courts, the Wildcats stormed out to a 1–0 lead:

Court 1: No. 12 Eli Stephenson/Jack Loutit stunned No. 22 Suresh/Pow, 6–4

Court 3: Charlelie Cosnet/Martin Breysach held off Tacchi/Xilas in a dramatic 7–6(5) tiebreak

The French pairing of Cosnet and Breysach overcame an early break and saved multiple deuce points, then opened a 6–2 lead in the breaker before sealing the deal on their fourth match point. Meanwhile, Stephenson and Loutit earned an early break and showed veteran poise under pressure to close out.

🔄 Wake Forest rallies in singles—but not without a fight

With momentum on Kentucky’s side heading into singles, the Wildcats applied early pressure across multiple courts, grabbing break leads in four of six matches.

But Wake Forest didn’t flinch.

In a matter of ten minutes, the Demon Deacons won three first-set tiebreakers—shifting the tide in front of a raucous home crowd.

No. 6: Luca Pow evened the match, rallying from 2–1 down to defeat Matt Rankin 6–3, 6–1

No. 2: No. 9 DK Suresh edged past Loutit in a tight 7–6(7), 6–1 win after fending off a late break

No. 4: Wake Forest’s Charlie Robertson came back from 3–5 down to beat Cosnet 7–6(2), 6–3

🔥 Jaden Weekes delivers a marathon, but it’s not enough

Trailing 3–1, Kentucky showed its fighting spirit.

No. 78 Jaden Weekes roared back to win the second set and grabbed an early lead in the decider against No. 123 Ioannis Xilas. But deuce points once again flipped the script. Despite breaking at 5–3 to keep the match alive, Weekes fell 6–2, 3–6, 6–4—clinching the win for Wake Forest.

🔍 Match summary: Wake Forest 4, Kentucky 1

Doubles

Stephenson/Loutit (UK) def. Suresh/Pow (WFU) — 6–4

Dostanic/Robertson (WFU) def. Ghibaudo/Weekes (UK) — 6–3

Breysach/Cosnet (UK) def. Tacchi/Xilas (WFU) — 7–6(5)
✅ Kentucky wins doubles point (1–0)

Singles

Suresh (WFU) def. Loutit (UK) — 7–6(7), 6–1

Pow (WFU) def. Rankin (UK) — 6–3, 6–1

Robertson (WFU) def. Cosnet (UK) — 7–6(2), 6–3

Xilas (WFU) def. Weekes (UK) — 6–2, 3–6, 6–4

Ghibaudo (UK) vs. Dostanic (WFU) — 6–2, 6–7(5), 2–4 (unfinished)

Stephenson (UK) vs. Tacchi (WFU) — 6–7(4), 6–6 (1–1) (unfinished)

🏆 Heart and a promising future

While the final score may read 4–1, the match told a deeper story. The Wildcats stood toe-to-toe with the nation’s top team, claimed a hard-fought doubles point, and battled into third sets across the board.

With young talent like Ghibaudo, Weekes, and Cosnet gaining postseason experience—and veterans like Stephenson and Loutit continuing to deliver—Kentucky’s future looks just as bright as its present.