At the start of a four-match road stretch on March 16, the No. 18 Florida women’s tennis team was in a grove with six consecutive victories. But now, just two matches later, UF is back to square one.
The Gators (10-5, 5-1 SEC) will be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Thursday to face the Crimson Tide (13-8, 0-5 SEC) at 6 p.m. after they went 1-1 during the first half of their road trip. Florida lost to Georgia 4-1 on Friday and defeated Tennessee 4-1 on Sunday.
The loss to the Bulldogs ended UF’s six-match winning streak and marked its first doubles-point loss in four contests.
UF sits in a tie for second place in the SEC standings with Vanderbilt, Georgia, and Auburn, all of which have one loss. South Carolina currently sits at the top of the SEC with a perfect 6-0 record.
Florida has won its last three meetings against Alabama and holds a 41-1 overall record against it. The Crimson Tide is also currently winless in the conference, putting the odds heavily in the Gators’ favor.
The No. 15 Auburn Tigers (16-5, 4-1 SEC) should prove to be a greater challenge. The Tigers — who Florida is facing on Saturday at 1 p.m. — are rolling with a six-match win streak after shutting out Alabama last Friday. Florida has never lost to Auburn, currently holding a 40-0 record against it.
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Coach Roland Thornqvist and the Gators await tonight's matchup against Alabama.
