MTennis Opens Season at UF
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team travels to Gainesville, Fla., for a double-header against the University of Florida at Noon, followed by a match against Bethune-Cookman at 5 p.m. to open their 2013 spring season.
The Florida Gators, currently ranked 12th in the nation, are coming off the Three Oaks Shootout tournament where they posted a 7-2 record in doubles and a 15-6 record in singles.
Bethune-Cookman, who’s first match of the season comes against the Hurricanes this weekend, look to start their season off on a postive note.
The strength of schedule this year is unlike any the Canes have seen recently, as all but one of their Atlantic Coast Conference matchups are against nationally ranked teams, including No. 1 ranked Virginia.
At home, the Hurricanes host nine top 75 ranked schools including No. 55 Rice, No. 64 North Florida and No. 70 Louisiana-Lafayette. On the road, they face in-state rivals No. 32 Florida State and No. 51 South Florida.
Finishing last season ranked 67th in the final ITA poll, the Hurricanes ascended in ranking by returning seven players, earning them a 65th ranking coming into the new season.
Looking to continue their successes from the fall, Victor Mauz and Henrique Tsukamoto, who combined for a 14-6 singles record, return, along with upperclassmen Omar Aly, Gabriel Flores, Diego Soto and Marco Stancati, giving the team great veteran leadership. Sophomore Wilfredo Gonzalez enters his second year with the Hurricanes. Jack Murphy and William Albanese round out the newcomers for UM this spring.
Entering his ninth year as the Canes coach, Mario Rincon looks to guide his team to new heights this season. In the 2011-2012 campaign, he led the Hurricanes to a ranking as high as No. 31, but looks to go further with the experienced spring roster.
For more information on the Hurricanes men’s tennis team, visit HurricaneSports.com. You can also log on to Twitter.com/CanesMensTennis and Facebook.com/HurricanesMensTennis for real-time updates.
