LSU tennis teams open play in NCAA tournament today

• Advocate news services
• Published: May 9, 2008 - Page: 12C - UPDATED: 12:20 a.m.

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The LSU men’s and women’s tennis teams open play in NCAA tournaments today at two different venues.

The 18th-ranked men are set to face undefeated Drake at 3 p.m. at the Atkins Tennis Center in Champaign, Ill. The women, meanwhile, will be taking on Washington State at Hellman Tennis Complex on the campus of Cal at 4 p.m. CDT.

LSU men
The first-round contest marks the first meeting between the Tigers (14-8) and the Bulldogs (24-0). The winner will face the winner between Xavier and 15th-ranked Illinois. The Illini and Musketeers will square off at noon.

First- and second-round competition will be conducted today through Sunday at 16 regional sites with the winner of each site advancing to the NCAA Championships at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla., May 16-20.

“Our guys have been looking forward to NCAAs for quite some time,” LSU coach Jeff Brown said. “Starting the tournament against an undefeated team is a challenge but it is something we look forward to. Drake and top-ranked Virginia are the only undefeated teams right now so we know it will be a tough test on Friday.”

The Tigers hold a 26-24 all-time record in the NCAA tournament. LSU has reached the tournament 24 times, which ranks second in the SEC behind Georgia (29.) LSU was bounced from the tournament last season by Ohio State, 4-0, in the round of 16.

Freshman Sebastian Carlsson leads the Tigers in singles wins this season with 25. The four-time Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week has won five straight matches.

LSU’s No. 1 player Michael Venus, who is ranked No. 26, will participate in the singles and doubles portion of the Individual tournament that takes place after the team tournament. Venus and doubles partner James Cluskey are ranked No. 18 with a 14-5 record.

LSU women
The Lady Tigers (14-9) enter the match after a three-week layoff. LSU last played on April 18 against No. 16 Arkansas in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

“I expect a very tough match against Washington State,” LSU coach Tony Minnis said. “The Pac-10 is about as tough a conference as any, and we just have to continue to play with the same positive emotion and poise and put ourselves in a position to be successful.”

Under the direction of Minnis, LSU has made an NCAA postseason appearance for the 14th time in school history and the 13th time in 14 years.

The Lady Tigers are led by 15th-ranked Megan Falcon, who enters the match with a 26-6 overall record, including an 18-4 dual record. On the season, the first-team All-SEC selection has posted 11 wins against ranked opponents.

Sophomore Hannah Robinson is second on the team in both overall and dual wins as she enters the match against Washington State with a 25-8 overall record and a 17-5 dual record. The second-team All-SEC selection has won seven of her last nine matches.