Weather has been a factor for the UF men’s tennis team recently.
On Saturday, the No. 14 Gators (13-7, 6-2 SEC) faced off with No. 24 Kentucky in a match that was moved indoors due to weather.
“Our rules state that the temperature has to be 50 (degrees Fahrenheit) or above for two out of the three hours,” coach Bryan Shelton said. “And there was a lot of confusion on that day because at the time we looked, we were actually above the 50-degree mark for two of the three hours.”
He continued: “It should have been an outdoor match. I think the SEC made a mistake that day. They have since apologized for the mistake they made.”
Unprepared for an indoor match, Florida fell to Kentucky 4-1. Elliott Orkin was the lone Gator victor on the speedy indoor surface. But as a team, the Gators have learned from their experience in Lexington.
“Hindsight is always 20/20,” Shelton said. “We could have practiced inside the day before had we known we could go inside and we chose not to do that. So that’s on me.”
Now Florida will have to consider all possible conditions when it faces off with No. 13 Georgia (13-6, 9-0 SEC) in Athens tonight at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs currently sit atop the SEC conference rankings and are expected to face the Gators in tough weather conditions, meaning that another indoor match could be on the table.
“We know that the forecast for Friday is that it’s going to be very windy,” Shelton said. “So there’re certain things we’ve got be aware of.”
Windy conditions cause for a lot of unpredictability in play, meaning that key adjustments must be made in footwork and hitting margins.
“We’ve got be moving our feet,” Shelton said. “If you set your feet too early, the ball starts going in a different direction and you’re in trouble. We can’t aim for the lines in those types of conditions. You’ve got to play more margins, more safely.”
From Athens, Florida will travel to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Sunday in the last true away match of the dual season for the Gators.
Contact Mark Stine at mstine@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @mstinejr.
UF men's tennis coach Bryan Shelton looks on during Florida's 4-2 win against UCLA on Feb. 5, 2017, at the Ring Tennis Complex.
