Gators undefeated in the SEC; hardest part behind them

Posted Mar 8, 2010 by Aaron Oberlin

Updated Mar 12, 2010 at 03:50 PM

The University of Florida men’s tennis team continues to roll, winning its fifth-straight match and first two in the Southeastern Conference this season after defeating Louisiana State University 7-0 on March 7.

Things look good for the No. 7 squad in the country, as it already faced its hardest stretch of the season.

The Gators (10-2) won two of three matches Feb. 12 to 14 at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships when they faced three consecutive top-10 teams.

They lost to then-No. 2 Ohio State 4-3 after beating then-No. 5 Baylor. They rounded out the tournament with a 4-0 victory over then-No. 7 Georgia.

“It was obviously extremely close, and we had a chance to win,” said UF coach Andy Jackson. “Ohio State was just a little stronger than us [that day]. We were disappointed to lose, but I was pleased that we had the grit to be in a position where we had a chance to win.”

Since the loss, the Gators have been pummeling teams, with their closest match a 5-2 victory over No. 13 Illinois. The Gators found themselves down after losing a doubles point, but they showed resolve.

“After doubles, we went into the locker room and told everyone, ‘That’s just one point. It’s just one point, and we need four points now to win,’” said UF junior Alexandre Lacroix. “We knew the longer we play, the better we are because Illinois isn’t used to playing outdoors and dealing with the wind.”

The Gators entered SEC play after the Illinois match. They traveled to Arkansas on March 5 and then to LSU. Florida won both matches with a combined 14-0 score.

“SEC teams don’t win in Baton Rouge very often, so we were happy to get out with a win regardless of the score,” Jackson said. “They have a tough crowd, and the team was looking for a signature win, which this would have been. Our team showed a lot of composure and toughness in a tense match and especially a tense doubles point.”

Ten matches remain on the Gators’ schedule, including matches against No. 2 Tennessee, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 11 Georgia, No. 15 Mississippi, No. 19 Florida State and No. 25 Alabama. Four of those are at home. Tournament play begins April 22.

The hardest stretch of the regular season, however, is behind them.