The LSU men’s tennis team will conclude fall play this weekend when it sends nine players to compete in singles and doubles at the Conference Challenge hosted by Texas A&M University.

Tiger senior Olivier Borsos, who is ranked No. 18 in the nation, will not compete because of an unspecified injury. Coach Jeff Brown said Borsos’ absence will allow sophomore Chris Simpson, who is ranked No. 58, to compete against highly ranked opponents.

“Simpson has come in at a much higher level,” Brown said. “He’s starting to show that he’s a top-25 player.”

Brown said senior Roger Anderson’s performance has been a pleasant surprise this season. Anderson looked strong at last weekend’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southern Regional, posting a 4-2 singles record and a 2-1 doubles record at the tournament. He advanced all the way to the consolation singles final before falling to Johan Backstrom of Ole Miss.

“[Anderson] hadn’t done much his first three years in singles,” Brown said. “He had always been a doubles stalwart, but he’s finally starting to show some promise [in singles].”

The doubles teams will consist of Simpson and senior Stefan Szacinski, Anderson and freshman Tam Trinh, freshmen Harrison Kennedy and Boras Arias, and freshman Joe Hill and senior Mark Bowtell.

Brown praised his players for their dedication in the weight room and conditioning sessions and said the team needs to close out the fall with a strong showing to prepare itself for the spring season.

“We’ve been taking information from each event and taking it week to week,” Brown said. “The players are evolving their game to the next level as far as strength and power. … This is just another opportunity to see what we need to work on.”