After a month away from the familiar confines of Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, the No. 11 Florida men’s tennis team will finally retake its home court today.
The Gators kick off Southeastern Conference play by hosting LSU today and Arkansas on Sunday.
The matches will be UF’s first at home since a Feb. 4 contest against Central Florida and the team’s first overall since a 4-3 loss to No. 6 UCLA in the consolation game of the Indoor Championships on Feb. 20.
UF coach Andy Jackson said he was looking forward to being a top contender in the SEC once again.
“The league typically is extremely tough, and this year is no exception,” he said.
Jackson said he sees nine of the 12 league teams competing for spots in the top 25 of the ITA rankings, with six teams that could potentially earn top-10 positions.
Tennessee is the only SEC team currently ranked in the top 10, sitting at No. 2. But Jackson’s predictions may come true in the end, as Georgia, Kentucky and Florida all currently fall in the top 15.
Jackson said the Indoor Championships were a good experience for his team, as the Gators (7-3) have now played three top-10 squads.
“We have to make some improvements, especially in doubles, if we want to be a top-five team,” Jackson said. “And you have to be top five to try to win the SEC.”
Last year, Florida worked its way to an 11-2 record against teams in the SEC, falling in the conference tournament’s title match to Tennessee.
“We feel like we let the championship slip from us in a very close match last year, and they talk a lot about it,” Jackson said. “We have to be careful that we don’t try to win 11 matches in one day.”
The No. 1 UF women’s tennis team will also kick off SEC play this weekend, with matches at LSU today and No. 16 Arkansas on Sunday.
