Razorbacks Host No. 17 LSU in Regular-Season Finale

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 41 Arkansas men’s tennis team will conclude its regular season Saturday with a match-up with No. 17 LSU at the George M. Billingsley Tennis Center. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. The Razorbacks will look to extend their winning streak to three matches after picking up victories against UMKC and then-No. 49 Mississippi State in their previous outings.

Arkansas (12-11, 3-7) is currently tied with Kentucky and Vanderbilt for eighth in the Southeastern Conference heading into the final weekend of the regular season. Freshman Chris Nott leads the Razorbacks with 23 wins this season, including a current four-match winning streak. Blake Strode and Matt Hogan have won three of their last four matches at No. 1 doubles. Strode also has a No. 99 singles ranking in the nation.

Since joining the SEC in 1992, the Arkansas and LSU (12-7, 5-5) have faced one another 18 times with the Tigers holding a 17-1 advantage in those meetings. Last season, the Tigers beat Arkansas, 5-2, in Baton Rouge. During the 2006 season, the Razorbacks earned a 4-3 victory in Fayetteville for their first win over LSU since 1986.

The LSU line-up features two ranked players and a top-30 doubles team. No. 47 Michael Venus, playing primarily at the top spot in the line-up, has compiled a 12-8 record, while Jan Zelezny, the 118th-ranked player in the nation, is 20-15 this season. Venus and James Cluskey form the No. 30 doubles team and are 13-4 together.

In their last outing, the Tigers lost a 5-2 decision at No. 7 Ole Miss.

Arkansas will follow Saturday’s match by hosting the SEC Men’s Tennis Championship at the Billingsley Tennis Center. Log on to www.hogwired.com for live stats and continued coverage of Razorback tennis.