Women's Tennis Hosts Arkansas in SEC Opener Friday
Thursday, March 4, 2010 | Women's Tennis
The University of Florida women's tennis team launches its 2009-10 Southeastern Conference slate on Friday, when the sixth-ranked Gators play host to No. 15 Arkansas beginning at 5 p.m. at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, where admission is free.
The Gators (9-2) were the preseason favorites to win their 24th SEC overall title in the 31st year the league has sponsored the sport. The Razorbacks (9-2) were picked by the conference coaches to place third in the Western Division.
Florida is 20-1 in the all-time series against Arkansas. The lone Razorback victory came last season on the road for the Gators in Fayetteville with a 4-0 Arkansas shutout. The Gators downed the Razorbacks 5-2 the last time the teams played in Gainesville, where UF sports an 11-0 record against Arkansas.
“We got beat up there last year and that's something that certainly will be a nice challenge for us, to get that back,” said UF head coach Roland Thornqvist, who enters Friday's match with a 198-28 record in his nine years at the helm of the Florida program. Thornqvist sports a 273-78 overall record in 13 years as a head coach. “Overall, we're going to try and get a little bit better on some of the things in our game. There are still some wrinkles in doubles where we can get a lot better in our games. In singles, we have some fine-tuning, as well.”
In the 38-year history of the Florida women's tennis program, the Gators have compiled a 824-126 record, with the next victory marking the 825th in history.
In addition to its impressive 161-1 home record against SEC opponents, Florida also boasts a remarkable 394-25 record when playing in Gainesville.
“I like the fact that we're starting off at home and hopefully will serve as a nice springboard for what we're hoping will be a good year,” Thornqvist said. “The league is tough and you have to be ready every week. Our league is traditionally one of the strongest every year and to win it, you have to be a national title contender so there is never an opponent you can take for granted. We'd like to think we can be a contender for the league championship every year, but it's never anything we take for granted.”
Entering Friday's match against Arkansas, Florida sports an overall program-record 74-match home win streak, including 13 wins in postseason play (SEC and NCAA Tournament). The Gators set a new standard with their 6-1 victory over Mississippi State on March 29, 2009, passing the previous record of 60.
Also entering the March 5th match against Arkansas, Florida has won 85 consecutive regular-season home matches - not including SEC Tournament or NCAA Championship events. The current streak is the longest of its kind in program history, last season passing the 71 in a row compiled from 1994-2001.
Seniors Marrit Boonstra (The Netherlands) and Anastasia Revzina (Moscow, Russia) lead the Gators this season and enter their final SEC season having compiled a combined dual match singles record of 48-5 against league foes.
“Anastasia and Marrit are great leaders,” Thornqvist praised. “They remember last year and knew we were always a couple of unlucky things away from losing. We're working hard to be the best team we can be down the road.”
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