Men's Tennis Takes On No. 16 Florida State in Orlando
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team will close out a run of three matches away from home, when it takes on in-state rival No. 16 Florida State Friday evening at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
LIVE STATS
Live stats for the neutral-terrain Atlantic Coast Conference matchup will be available HERE.
THE SERIES
Miami (6-4) seeks its first ACC victory of the season against its in-state rival. The Hurricanes lead the all-time series, 50-18, but FSU has dominated in recent years, winning 16 of the last 21 matches, including a sweep in Tallahassee last year.
The Canes’ last triumph in the series came in 2016, when then-sophomore Piotr Lomacki won in three sets at the top of the lineup to top a dramatic comeback, 4-3, which came after the Seminoles had taken a 3-0 lead in the match.
HIGHLIGHTING MIAMI’S 2018 SEASON
-Miami’s 6-2 start to the spring season was the Hurricanes’ best start since 2013.
-Miami freshmen have captured 18 singles wins this spring. Bojan Jankulovski won both of his ACC matches last week.
-No. 99 senior Christian Langmo earned his first ranked singles victory of the season Sunday. The lineup leader, who is 7-2 in singles play, enters this weekend as the third Hurricane to have been ranked in 2018, after Adria Soriano (No. 99) and Jankulovski (No. 101).
-Three of Miami’s four defeats have come in the hands of ranked opposition, No. 22 Tulane, No. 14 Mississippi State and No. 50 Clemson, respectively. All those defeats came away from home.
-The Hurricanes, who are 5-0 at home, have now posted a five-match win streak in Coral Gables for second straight season, a feat that they have achieved four times in the last seven campaigns.
LAST TIME OUT
Miami fought valiantly on the road in its opening two conference matchups, but fell by the minimal margin, 4-3, to both Georgia Tech and No. 50 Clemson. All the Hurricanes’ points came from singles play with the Canes holding a record of 5-1 at the top three positions in the lineup through two conference contests.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
The Noles have enjoyed a dominant start to the season and carry a 15-1 record into Friday’s contest, with their only defeat coming at No. 11 Baylor on Jan. 28. Florida State, ranked as high as No. 12 this spring, is riding a five-match win streak, including a 5-2 ACC-opening victory against a ranked Clemson team last Friday. The Seminoles are 3-0 in neutral-grounds contests and have already played at the USTA National Campus this spring, edging No. 8 Florida, 4-3, on Feb. 3.
Florida State has three nationally ranked singles players in No. 16 Guy Iradukunda, No. 56 Lucas Poullain and No. 87 Aziz Dougaz. Iradukunda also plays a role in two of FSU’s four nationally ranked doubles pairs, ranking No. 17 alongside Alex Knaff and No. 74 alongside Dougaz. Poullain is ranked in doubles as well, checking in at No. 19 with his partner Jose Gracia. Brothers Terrance and Terrell Whitehurst, ranked No. 44 in the nation, complete the quartet.
UP NEXT
Miami returns to the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on Sunday for a non-conference doubleheader against William and Mary (11 a.m.) and Cleveland State (4 p.m.)
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