Injuries are a constant spectacle in the world of sports. Some injuries rip teams apart, while others lead to unforeseen opportunities. Three youngsters of the No. 29 LSU men’s team will inherit these opportunities this weekend at the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Tallahassee, Fla. Junior Julien Gauthier, who was expected to play a key role at the top of the lineup this year, suffered a left ankle injury this past week at practice and will not travel with the team, leaving room for three of the Tigers’ freshmen to make names for themselves. ‘It’s an opportunity for somebody to step up,’ said LSU men’s coach Jeff Brown. ‘You are getting the benefit of seeing some guys who may end up coming up big for you later in the year.’ Brown will turn his attention toward freshmen Stefan Szacinski, Roger Anderson and James Turbervill today when the No. 3 seeded Tigers take on No. 19 Louisville, the No. 2 seed, at 10 a.m. The coaching staff and trainers hope Gauthier’s ankle will heal in time for next weekend’s match against Rice, but they are fully prepared to move on without him. ‘It could hurt [us] certainly,’ Brown said of Gauthier’s injury. ‘I think it will help us in developing some of the other guys get opportunities.’ Gauthier had developed a strong doubles rapport with junior Sebastian Carlsson in the fall and compiled a 7-3 record with him. The injury will have a domino effect on LSU’s lineup, as Szacinski, who had previously teamed with sophomore Neal Skupski, will now pair with Carlsson ,and Skupski will take the court with Anderson. The Tigers will have their rackets full against a Louisville team that boasts the No. 14 doubles team in the country as well as three singles players ranked in the top 84 in No. 46 Austen Childs, No. 81 Andrew Carter and No. 84 Simon Childs. Despite the tough test, Carlsson is eager to experience top-notch non-conference competition. ‘It’s really important to get a good start to the year ‘hellip; especially to get some of the new guys some wins,’ he said. No. 13 Florida St. takes on Wisconsin later today at 2 p.m., with the winner of that matchup taking on the LSU-Louisville winner Saturday at 12 p.m. While the men’s tennis team will battle it out in the Sunshine State, the No. 28 LSU women’s tennis team will be across the country in Los Angeles at the women’s portion of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Lady Tigers, fresh off a dominating performance last weekend against Louisiana-Lafayette and Prairie View A&M, take on Southeastern Conference foe Auburn today at 12 p.m. This weekend will give LSU women’s coach Tony Minnis another long look at three freshmen that have been mainstays in the lineup since September – Kaitlin Burns, Keri Frankenberger and Ebie Wilson. ‘It will be a good opportunity for them to get their feet wet,’ Minnis said. ‘We will be able to find out a lot about this team.’ Wilson only played in doubles last weekend after battling an illness the previous week, but will be back to singles action today. Minnis has yet to unveil his future plans for the Lady Tigers’ singles lineup, but he said he will stick with the same top half of the lineup used last Sunday. ‘Nothing is really set in stone,’ Minnis said. ‘We’re just toying around with it.’ Sophomore Whitney Wolf, the No. 120 ranked singles player in the country, will remain in the No. 1 spot, while senior Nicole Kantor will be at the No. 2 position. The winner of the LSU-Auburn match will face the winner of No. 9 USC and San Diego on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. — Contact Sean Isabella at [email protected]