GAINSVILLE, Fla. — The No.10-ranked LSU men’s tennis team hopes to continue its winning ways when it travels to face the No.25-ranked Florida Gators on Sunday at noon.
The Tigers (12-2, 4-1 SEC) have won five straight matches, most recently a quick 4-0 route against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday. The Gators (8-4, 3-2 SEC) defeated Arkansas, 6-1, on Friday
“Florida is a much better team than its ranking. I believe they are one of the top 10 teams in the nation,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “They have one of the toughest singles lineups and we expect a great match.”
LSU’s 12-2 record is the team’s best start since 2000. Sunday’s match against No. 25 Florida will be LSU’s sixth match against a top-30 team. LSU’s only two loses came against No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State.
The two SEC foes have had a close rivalry as LSU holds a slim lead over Florida in the all-time series with a 24-22-1 record. The Tigers won last season’s match, 4-3, in Baton Rouge.
Under head coach Andy Jackson, the Gators have been dominant at home this season going 6-1, while there only loss came against top-ranked Georgia. Jackson is in his sixth season of leading Florida and the Gators have only lost five home matches during his tenure.
The Gators’ strong singles lineup includes two players ranked in the top 20. Leading the way for the Gators is the No. 6-ranked Jesse Levine. The freshman sensation is 11-0 this season, including four wins over opponents ranked in the top 30. Junior Greg Ouellette is listed at No. 16 in the rankings. Levine and Ouellette have also excelled as a doubles team where they are ranked No. 6.
A key component in the Tigers success this season has been their strong doubles play. The Tigers have won the doubles point 12 times out of their 14 matches. The Tigers represent two top 15 duos. The No.5-ranked team of Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston hold an impressive 15-1 record this season, with their only loss against the No.1-ranked pair of Georgia’s Luis Flores and John Isner. James Cluskey and Ken Skupski have excelled this season as they are ranked No. 14.
In singles, the bottom half of the lineup has played at a very high level. Kevin Dessauer has been LSU’s most improved player at the four spot. The former walk on started the season 8-0 and holds a 10-3 record in dual play.
Sophomore Cluskey has been on a tear as of late. The LSU Male Athlete of the Week has won five-straight matches and clinched LSU’s biggest win of the season against No. 6 Illinois on Tuesday.
Newcomer Jan Zelezny has been a great addition for the Tigers this season. Zelezny has won four out of his last five matches.