BATON ROUGE — The LSU men’s tennis team will open its Southeastern Conference schedule Friday at 2 p.m. against Eastern division rival Georgia with “Greek Day” festivities at W.T. Robinson Tennis Stadium.
“Both teams have always had a tradition,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “No matter what the level of the teams has been, it generally comes down to a close match.”
This year that level is high for both teams. The 12th-ranked Tigers bring a 7-0 record into the match, which includes wins over No. 17 Texas and No. 59 Louisiana- Lafayette. The 21st-ranked Bulldogs (6-1) are on a four-match win streak after losing to North Carolina Feb. 14.
LSU lost last year, 4-3, in Athens, increasing Georgia’s lead in the all time series.
The two have been among the top teams in the SEC for the past decade with five league titles and four tournament titles between them since 1995.
LSU lost to Georgia in the 1998 NCAA semifinals, but returned the favor the next season by knocking the Bulldogs out of the SEC Tournament.
“We’ve both had success winning the SEC over the past few years,” Brown said. “They are the only SEC team to win national titles, so we know they are a strong program. We look forward to playing them on our home court.”
LSU’s 13th-ranked doubles team of Jason Hazley and Bryan Fisher beat Georgia’s fifth-ranked Bo Hodge and John Isner earlier this season in the SEC Doubles Indoor Championship Tournament. Both tandems are undefeated in the dual season.
In singles, LSU’s 87th-ranked Ken Skupski will try to avenge the loss he suffered to Hodge in the fall season. Hodge is ranked No. 4 in singles and is 5-2 at the No. 1 position this season.
Brown said the Tigers are expecting a big turnout for “Greek Day” at Robinson Stadium. The sorority and fraternity with the most attendants will receive a free clinic from the men’s tennis team. There will also be a serving contest with a grand prize of $100.
Live scoring updates will be available at LSUsports.net. Also check LSUsports.net for updates concerning inclement weather and possible rescheduling times.