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The No. 7 Florida men's tennis team posted a 4-0 win over UC Santa
Barbara Friday morning in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off
Weekend tournament at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
With the victory, the Gators advance to the championship game of
the tournament Saturday at 1 p.m. Florida will play North Carolina
State, who defeated Troy later Friday.
The winner of the championship game will advance to Seattle, Wash.
to compete in the ITA Indoor Championships.
Gators coach Andy Jackson said, although the team played well
enough to win, they would have to improve Saturday.
"I thought we did a good job today of backing up our success," he
said. "But we know that we'll have to play better tomorrow to get
through."
On Thursday, Jackson said, getting to Seattle is a major goal for
his team this season.
Senior Alexandre Lacroix led the Gators in both doubles and singles
play.
After the UF split the first two doubles matches, Lacroix and
partner Nassim Slilam pulled out an 8-6 victory over UCSB's duo of
Taylor Chavez Goggin and Alex Konigsfeldt.
The late charge, directed by Lacroix, wrapped up the doubles point
for the Gators, giving the team momentum heading into singles
play.
"Winning the doubles point was a very important point in the
match," Lacroix said. "I think they were ready to take the doubles
point and it hurt them when we got it."
In singles play, Lacroix posted a quick, dominant victory over
Benjamin Recknagel (6-3, 6-0).
"I think in the beginning of the singles matches we showed them
that we were willing to play a long time and they backed down a
bit," he said.
"I didn't know the guy I was playing at first, but I got into my
game and there was a point where he backed down physically and
mentally."
Four other Gators posted first-set wins in their singles matches,
and Florida wrapped up the dual-match victory when Bob van Overbeek
finished off Forget (6-3, 6-2).
"If we all play like that tomorrow, we have a chance to win,"
Lacroix said. "It's going to be a hard match but we have to bring
the same energy level."
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Gator women’s team
The No. 2 women's tennis team will be hosting the ITA Kick-Off
Weekend tournament beginning on Saturday.
The Gators will play College of Charleston at 10 a.m. at Linder
Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. Later in the day, Winthrop and
William & Mary will square off at 1 p.m.
The matches will coincide with the final day of the men's
tournament on separate courts.
Florida is coming off an impressive 7-0 win Wednesday against UCF
in the team's home opener where it swept all the doubles and
singles matches.
Sophomore Lauren Embree will look to continue her path back from a
wrist injury that cost her to miss the entire fall season.
Embree showed well on Wednesday, winning her singles match in
straight sets.
The winner of the tournament will advance to Seattle to play in the
ITA Indoor Championships.
