Rebuilding, retooling, reorganizing. These three words could have been used to categorize some of the challenges the LSU men’s tennis team faced when entering the fall season. The Tigers lost former All-American Michael Venus and left-hander James Cluskey to graduation last May and faced several holes in their young roster that featured four freshmen and three sophomores.LSU coach Jeff Brown’s team answered the challenges and captured two singles titles out of the four tournaments it played in during the fall.  Junior Julien Gauthier grabbed the Flight A singles title Sept. 13 at the Rice Invitational, and junior Sebastian Carlsson won the Flight 1 singles title four weeks ago to close out the fall season at the University of South Florida Invitational. “Sebastian has shown us he is capable of competing at the highest level,” Brown said after the USF Invitational. “Everyone competing took a lot away from this tournament, and they saw the things they need to work on over the next two months before we start the dual season.” While Gauthier and Carlsson made their best effort to fill the shoes of Venus and Cluskey, it was sophomore Neal Skupski who proved to have the strongest showing. Skupski compiled a 8-3 singles record and knocked off three ranked foes, including a straight-set victory in early October against then-No. 5 Guillermo Gomez of Georgia Tech at the ITA All-American tournament. The Liverpool, England, native also knocked off then-No. 61 Keziel Juneau of William and Mary, 4-6, 7-6 (5-0), 6-3, and then-No. 46 Ed Corrie of Texas, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, at the All-American tournament. Skupski is expected to battle with Carlsson for the No. 1 singles spot, formerly held by Venus, in March when the Southeastern Conference dual season rolls around. “[Skupski’s] upside is what you’re always watching,” Brown said. “His talent level is so good, and he’s starting to realize it. He’s young. He’s only a sophomore, but he’s maturing quickly.” Skupski, who said doubles are his stronger point, ironically struggled in that facet this fall. Skupski and Carlsson began the season ranked as the No. 18 doubles team in the county. The duo only played one match together and lost to preseason No. 1 Jon Patrick Smith and Boris Conkic of Tennessee at the All-American tournament, 6-8. Skupski teamed with freshman Stefan Szacinski the rest of the fall, compiling a 3-3 record. LSU will return to the courts after the holiday on Jan. 8 when it travels to the Key Biscayne Invitational in Key Biscayne, Fla. Meanwhile, the LSU women’s tennis team faced a similar void as it entered the fall without former standouts Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg. Senior Nicole Kantor entered the season as the most experienced player on the roster and proved she could handle the void left by Falcon and Hedberg. Kantor posted her first singles title of the year in the Lady Tigers’ first tournament of the season with a 6-1, 6-3, Flight 1 victory against Kansas State’s Antea Huljev at the Hoosier Classic. “Obviously, they are really big shoes to fill … and I’m going to do my best to try and replace them,” said Kantor, who currently holds a 67-50 career singles record at LSU. Kantor spent most of last season behind Falcon and Hedberg in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the Lady Tigers’ singles lineup, but she knocked off three opposing No. 1 players en route to her championship at the Hoosier Classic. In addition to Kantor’s success, two youngsters made a splash this fall. Freshman Ebie Wilson won the Flight 3 singles title at the Hoosier Classic, knocking off Indiana’s Lindsey Stucky, 6-2, 6-1, to register her first career title. Wilson also made it to the championship round of the Harvard Invitational to close the season but fell to Cornell’s Sarah O’Neal, 6-4, 6-3. Sophomore Whitney Wolf had arguably the most successful fall season, bouncing back from a disappointing freshman campaign. The Pride native blew by Cornell’s Christine Ordway in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, at the Harvard Invitational to secure the Lady Tigers’ third individual singles title of the fall. Wolf was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and was given the distinction of Louisiana’s top-ranked junior player in 2008.But she struggled during her freshman campaign with a 15-19 singles record, including a 1-7 record against Southeastern Conference opponents, and finally found her stroke toward the end of the fall, posting a 10-3 singles record. “She was on fire, and I’ve never seen her play like that before,” LSU coach Tony Minnis said after Wolf’s title clinching win against Ordway. Kantor and Wolf are expected to anchor the front end of the lineup for Minnis’ young squad that features three freshmen and one sophomore. The Lady Tigers will return to action Jan. 15 for the UVA Winter Invitational in Charlottesville, Va.—-Contact Sean Isabella at [email protected]