No. 6 Men's Tennis to Host No. 19 Florida State
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 | Men's Tennis
The sixth-ranked University of Florida men's tennis team hosts rival No. 19 Florida State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The Gators (7-2) come into the match with a 5-0 home record this spring, including Sunday's 6-1 victory over USF.
The Seminoles (7-1, 2-0 ACC) will be the fifth top-25 team that Florida is facing through the first 10 meetings of its 2010 slate.
Wednesday's match marks the 72nd meeting between Florida and Florida State, with the Gators leading the all-time series, 51-20. UF is 9-1 against the Seminoles under head coach Andy Jackson, including a pair of postseason victories over FSU (2005 and 2007). The Gators have won the past three meetings, dating back to the 2007 NCAA Regionals.
The Gators are led by 17th-ranked Alexandre Lacroix (Paris, France), who has posted a 21-6 singles record in 2009-10, including 6-2 at the No. 1 position in dual match play. Lacroix has also managed an 11-4 mark against ranked opponents.
On the doubles court, Lacroix and Antoine Benneteau (Boulogne-Billancourt) form the No. 10 pair in the nation. The duo holds an impressive 20-1 record and is in the midst of an 11-match winning streak.
Benneteau has also been thriving on the singles court, with an active nine-match winning streak that includes his 8-0 record in dual match play. Benneteau has appeared on the third, fourth and fifth singles courts at various times for UF this spring.
The Gators also possess tremendous depth, as evidenced by their combined 15-2 mark at Nos. 5 and 6 singles in dual match play. Sekou Bangoura Jr. (Bradenton, Fla.) leads the Gators with four appearances at No. 5 singles and is 3-1 in that slot. Meanwhile, Nassim Slilam (Paris, France) has a team-high six appearances in the No. 6 position and has compiled a 5-1 mark there.
Admission to Wednesday's match is free.
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