Lacroix leads Florida in Gator Invitational wrapup

The Florida men’s tennis team concluded play at the 2010 Gator Invitational Sunday with four singles wins and three doubles wins. In the three-day event, the Gators finished with an overall 24-2 record, including a perfect 9-0 in doubles.

“This is a good start to the year,” Florida coach Andy Jackson said. “The competition was better today and I am pleased with how we played.”

The No. 20-ranked doubles team of Alexandre Lacroix and Nassim Slilam beat South Florida’s Federico Sabogal and Yannick Yoshizawa, 8-2. The freshman doubles team of Andrew Butz and Michael Alford downed Wael Kilani and Juan Carlos Acuna Gerard of South Florida, 8-4. Bob van Overbeek and Billy Federhofer completed the Florida doubles sweep with an 8-3 victory over South Florida’s Romain Deridder and Jorge Suarez.

In singles, Lacroix, the No. 9 singles player in the country, comfortably handled No. 53 Kilani 6-1, 6-0. Van Overbeek took down Gerard, 6-3, 6-2. Slilam suffered his only loss of the Gator Invitational in a closely contested match, falling 7-5, 7-6 (3) to Yannick Yoshizawa. Butz overcame a one-set deficit to pick up a 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory over Sabogal. Alford won 6-4, 6-1 over Suarez.

Lacroix was the Gator Invitational singles champion as he went 3-0 over the weekend. He also shared the doubles title with partner Slilam. The No. 20-ranked Gator duo dropped only seven games total in their three matches en route to the title.

UF will next take the court in two three-day separate events — the Land Rover Napa Valley Classic in Meadowood, Calif., and the Southern Intercollegiate in Athens, Ga., beginning on Friday. Lacroix, Slilam, van Overbeek and Sekou Bangoura Jr. will travel to California for the Land Rover Napa Valley Classic, while Billy Federhofer, Michael Alford and Andrew Butz head to Georgia for the Southern Intercollegiate.

GATOR INVITATIONAL

Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010 / Ring Tennis Complex / Gainesville, Fla.

SINGLES

Alexandre Lacroix (UF) def. Wael Kilani (USF), 6-1, 6-0; Bob van Overbeek (UF) def. Juan Carlos Acuna Gerard (USF), 6-3, 6-2; Yannick Yoshizawa (USF) def. Nassim Slilam (UF), 7-5, 7-6; Andrew Butz (UF) def. Federico Sabogal (USF), 1-6, 7-6, 6-2; Michael Alford (UF) def. Jorge Suarez (USF), 6-4, 6-1.

DOUBLES

Alexandre Lacroix-Nassim Slilam (UF) def. Federico Sabogal-Yannick Yoshizawa (USF), 8-2; Michael Alford-Andrew Butz (UF) def. Wael Kilani-Juan Carlos Acuna Gerard (USF), 8-4; Bob van Overbeek-Billy Federhofer (UF) def. Romain Deridder-Jorge Suarez (USF), 8-3.