IU looks to upset No. 33 Kentucky Wildcats on road

When the No. 63 IU men’s tennis team (8-1) takes the court today at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Ky., history will not be on its side. \nThey are 3-23 all-time against the Kentucky Wildcats and 1-11 against them since Ken Hydinger became the Hoosiers’ coach in 1985. \n“I know we’re looking forward to it,” junior Mike McCarthy said. “We’ve been working hard, gearing up for it. It’s a great opportunity to play a high-ranked team.”\nThe No. 33 Wildcats (4-3) have their lowest preseason ranking since 2001. With freshmen and sophomores making up nine of the 11-man team, Kentucky has yet to record a big win. They do have big match experience, however, with their three losses coming against ranked opponents – No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Baylor and No. 43 Middle Tennessee State. \nThe Wildcats are led by No. 72 Bruno Agostinelli. He will face whomever the Hoosiers put at No. 1, most likely senior David Bubenicek. Despite struggling last week in a pair of victories and dropping from the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, Bubenicek’s wrist has improved and he was hitting the ball well in practice. Although junior Dara McLoughlin filled in at No. 1 earlier this month, he said the lineup is likely set, but he will be ready to play wherever Hydinger puts him.\n“I would imagine David would play (No.) 1. He’s been playing pretty well in practice this week,” McLoughlin said. \nIU received a boost with the return of junior Thomas Richter, who had been home in Germany for personal reasons. Assistant coach Randy Bloemendaal said Richter’s flight was scheduled to come in at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and he would be in the lineup for the match. Richter’s return gives the Hoosiers some added depth, which could make a difference in the match.\nWhile the Hoosiers are 23-4 combined at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles, the Wildcats are just 5-13. \n“They’re pretty low at the bottom of the lineup,” McLoughlin said.\nJust like Kentucky, IU is looking for a signature victory before conference play. A win against the Wildcats would be a step in the right direction for the Hoosiers, as they look to build their NCAA Tournament resume.