Gator Country

For the second time this week, the No. 7 Florida men’s tennis team couldn’t finish what it started because of Mother Nature.

Sunday’s Southeastern Conference match with Mississippi State at the Linder Stadium/Ring Tennis Complex was canceled by rain. The match was scheduled to start at 2 p.m. but didn’t start until 4 p.m. and then the players only got an hour of playing time before another rainstorm ended the match.

Last Wednesday evening, Florida’s match at Linder Stadium against state-rival Florida State was suspended by rain with the Gators leading. That match will be resumed at a later date, but Florida (12-2, 4-0 SEC) and Mississippi State (8-6, 1-3) will not be able to conclude their match.

“Obviously it’s been a tough week for us,” said Florida head coach Andy Jackson. “We’ll just have to focus on getting better in practice this week and then get ourselves ready to go compete on the road.”

The teams began competition with singles play in an attempt get a result in the least amount of time possible. At the time that play was stopped, Florida had won the first set on four courts and No. 1 singles player Antoine Benneteau held a 3-1 lead in his first-set tiebreaker. Benneteau trailed 5-1 in the set before winning the next four games to draw even at 5-5.

After Artem Ilyushin broke Benneteau’s serve to go up 6-5, Benneteau broke right back to force the tiebreaker.

Sekou Bangoura Jr. rallied from a 5-1 deficit in his first-set tiebreaker to take six straight points and claim the first set just before the match-ending rains came.

Sixth-ranked Alexandre Lacroix also appeared well on his way to his eighth straight victory and seventh against a ranked foe, leading No. 52 Louis Cant, 6-2, 3-0. Joey Burkhardt and Bob Van Overbeek both were up a set at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

The lone Mississippi State first-set win came at the sixth spot, but Nassim Slilam was a game away from evening the count and forcing a third set. Slilam currently has the longest active winning streak, with 11 consecutive wins.

The Gators head to Oxford, Miss., where they will take on No. 14 Ole Miss next Sunday afternoon.

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