With three matches left in the regular season, the Florida women’s tennis team (14-6, 9-1 SEC) is second in the SEC standings. Right below it is Vanderbilt (16-3, 8-1 SEC) and Georgia (12-5, 7-3 SEC), two teams that have defeated Florida this year.
Above it is the SEC’s only undefeated team remaining in conference play, South Carolina — a team the Gators will face on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (18-3, 10-0 SEC) haven’t been squeaking by their opponents either. They have won 12 of their last 13 matches by three points or more and have only let a contest go to seven points once, a close 4-3 victory over UCF.
When Florida has played top-10 teams this season, it has struggled. The Gators’ are 1-4 this season against top-10 teams, with its lone victory coming against then-No. 7 Ole Miss on March 1.
The rest of its top-10 matches have left much to be desired. Florida’s first taste of high-rank play came in the form of No. 2 Vanderbilt during the ITA National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 10, where it was dominated in a 4-0 sweep. Its final match during the ITA indoor championships was then-No. 7 Georgia Tech, which readily handled the Gators in a 4-2 victory.
UF’s next top-10 match was against then-No. 8 Georgia, which defeated it 4-1. Its most recent top-10 match was against then-No. 7 Texas, which swept it 4-0.
The Gators have yet to play a top-10 team at home, though the Gamecocks aren’t going to give them the luxury. UF will have to face South Carolina at the Carolina Tennis Center in Columbia, South Carolina, further stacking the odds against it.
"These last two weekends are going to provide some of the most exciting tennis and marquee match-ups,” coach Roland Thornqvist said in a release. “Our match on Saturday at South Carolina is definitely one of them, if not the one.”
Follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells and contact him at rwells@alligator.org.
Coach Roland Thornqvist and the Gators are wrapping up their regular season with three final conference matchups. "These last two weekends are going to provide some of the most exciting tennis and marquee match-ups,” he said.
