Florida looks to extend a 33-year long streak as they face a No. 48-ranked Vanderbilt squad in the Ring Tennis Complex
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators Men’s Tennis is slated for a Friday night matchup with the Vanderbilt Commodores in Linder Stadium at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
The No. 29 Gators enter this Friday’s 5 p.m. match with a 10-9 overall record and a 4-5 conference record.
Last Time Out
Florida is coming off of a crucial 4-2 win over the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, their first road win of the season. The Gators collected four-straight singles wins to come back from a daunting 2-0 Bulldog lead. Aidan Kim was tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the week for his efforts on court two, collecting his highest ranked win of the year over No. 58 Ryan Colby. The win also propelled him to a No. 115 singles ranking. Adhithya Ganesan returned to the singles lineup for the first time since the Gators’ March 8 match against Kentucky, and collected a three-set victory to tie the dual match at 2-2. His performance resulted in his singles rankings debut, coming in at No. 85 in the national rankings.
The Opponent
The No. 48 Vanderbilt Commodores enter Friday boasting an 11-9 overall record, including a 2-6 conference record, and are coming off of a 6-1 loss at Texas A&M on Friday. The Gators hold a commanding 48-10-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Commodores, and are currently on a seven-match winning streak, dating back to the Gators’ win on April 1, 2016. The Gators have won the previous 18 matchups in Gainesville, a streak that dates back to 1991 when the Gators beat the Commodores on March 5, 6-3, when collegiate tennis was still scored with a nine-point dual match
Baby Gators
Florida’s trio of Jeremy Jin (No. 57), Adhithya Ganesan (No. 85), and Aidan Kim (No. 115) make the Gators the only team in the nation with three freshmen in this week’s ITA singles rankings. The members of the young core have rotated between the top three positions in Florida’s lineup this season, and Ganesan’s recent return from injury reinjects Florida’s singles lineup with more rookie star power. This week, Kim joined Jin as the second Gator this season to earn an SEC Freshman of the Week nod.
In the Rankings
Florida
Team: No. 29
Singles: Jeremy Jin (No. 57), Adhithya Ganesan (No. 85), Aidan Kim (No. 115)
Doubles: Nate Bonetto/Aidan Kim (No. 42), Tanapatt Nirundorn/Adhithya Ganesan (No. 59)
Vanderbilt
Team: No. 48
Singles: Danil Panarin (No. 72)
Doubles: None
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