CHICAGO — Play begins tomorrow for the No. 11-ranked LSU men’s tennis team in the National Team Indoor Championships against one the best teams in the country.
The 10th-seeded Tigers (7-0) face eighth-ranked and eighth-seeded Duke on Thusday at 3 p.m. in the tournament’s first round.
The team arrived in Chicago yesterday to begin preparations. The draw includes the top nine ranked teams in the country as of Tuesday’s ITA poll, plus several knocking on the top spots.
“Having seen all the teams, we know we’re going to be in the match with anyone,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “At the same time, any team is capable of giving problems. The parity in men’s tennis is real and it’s very deep, especially when you’re looking at the top 16 teams.”
The Blue Devils are 4-1 this season and fresh off a 6-1 win over No. 22 Tennessee. The Duke lineup includes ranked players at the top three singles positions.
The Tigers have not lost a doubles match yet in the dual season. That will be challenged tomorrow when they face Duke’s doubles lineup, which includes the No. 14 and 15-ranked pairs in the nation.
“Duke has a strong singles and doubles lineup from top to bottom,” Brown said. “We’re excited about the challenge and look forward to getting this match underway.”
The Tigers have their own pair of ranked teams to match up with the Blue Devils. No. 13 Ken Skupski and Mark Growcott are 14-3 this season. No. 34 Jason Hazley and Danny Bryan are 14-2.
LSU’s 12th-ranked Skupski will get a crack at sixth-ranked Ludovic Walter at No. 1 singles. Skupski has not lost a match since November, and a win over the Walter would be the biggest of his collegiate career.
LSU has not faced Duke since the 1999 NCAA quarterfinals, when the Tigers edged the Blue Devils, 4-3. This is LSU’s first trip to the tournament since 2000.
Defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Baylor awaits the Tigers in the second round if both teams win their first matches.