Men’s tennis travels to Georgia & Tennessee

The 16th-ranked University of Florida men’s tennis team will take to the road for a pair of Southeastern Conference showdowns, beginning at No. 7 Georgia on Friday at 5 p.m. in Athens, Ga., and closing at No. 4 Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Knoxville, Tenn.

“[These are] teams that we know we can be successful against, but teams that we know are two of the best in the country,” head coach Andy Jackson said. “We are really looking forward to the competition and give ourselves a chance to host an NCAA Regional. And we need some help from some other teams, but you never know about the conference race.”

The Gators hold a 13-6 overall record, including a 6-2 conference mark and are currently in third place in the SEC, matching up against the first-place Bulldogs (17-3, 8-0) and second-place Volunteers (17-3, 7-1).

Senior Alexandre Lacroix (Paris, France) also looks to continue his climb up the all-time Florida charts. He already holds the school record with 97 doubles victories and became just the second player to reach 200 overall wins, now sitting seven behind Justin O’Neal’s UF record with 201. Lacroix’s 104 singles victories are tied for fifth in Gator annals, while his 52 combined wins during 2010-11 are tied for ninth in a single season at Florida.

Following Florida’s weekend swing, it has just one regular-season match left on the schedule, traveling to South Carolina for an April 16 clash before the Gators host the SEC Tournament at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex April 21-24.