Florida Wraps Up Regular Season on the Road Starting with Kentucky
Thursday, April 9, 2015 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 17 Florida Gators start their final road trip of the regular season with a match at Kentucky on Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
The Gators lead the all-time series with the Wildcats, 43-14.
Florida split its final weekend at home, earning a 4-2 win versus No. 25 LSU, but falling in its regular-season finale at Linder Stadium to No. 8 Texas A&M, 4-0. Freshman Chase Perez-Blanco remains a leader in singles wins for UF, as he's recorded 11 dual match victories, including six versus SEC opponents. Sophomore Elliott Orkin has tabbed 10 dual match singles wins, six in conference play, while junior Diego Hidalgo boasts a 9-2 dual singles record. Second-year tandem Maxx Lipman and Orkin anchor UF's doubles effort with an 11-6 overall mark and 7-2 record in SEC action.
Shelton's Notes – Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On finishing the regular season with a strong outing on the road…
Our goal is to finish with a solid weekend and to improve our doubles performance from this past Sunday. Playing well this weekend will give us some positive momentum moving forward. The focus however is improving today and not getting ahead of the present. We've got to win the day.
Last Time:
A No. 15-ranked Florida squad defeated No. 14 Kentucky last season, 4-2, in its 2014 regular-season finale. The upset win earned UF a fourth-place finish in the SEC standings and a first-round bye in the SEC Tournament.
Leading the Way:
Chase Perez-Blanco and Elliott Orkin lead UF with six SEC singles wins apiece. Perez-Blanco fell in SEC singles for the first time in Florida's loss to Texas A&M last Sunday.
Winning Trend for Watson:
Gordon Watson has become a major contributor for the Gators as of late and has posted a singles point in three of UF's last four victories.
#17 Florida (11-7, 6-4) at Kentucky (11-14, 2-8)
Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m.
Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex, Lexington, Ky.
Live Stats: http://www.ukathletics.com/sports/m-tennis/spec-rel/stats_041015.html
Notes: http://www.gatorzone.com/tennis/men/stats/notes/pre/20150410170000.pdf
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