Gators move to 2-0 in SEC play after week one
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 11 Florida (6-1, 2-0 SEC) defeated Auburn (3-6, 0-2 SEC), 6-1, on Sunday at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex to improve to 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
The Gators bounced back from a dropped doubles point and won four three-set singles matches to dispatch the visiting Tigers and win their third-straight match.
Captain Duarte Vale said that the ability to come back from a dropped doubles point is all based on the team’s mindset.
“It starts before the doubles point is even played,” Vale said. “We just compete, compete, compete. If we lose a couple spots, if we lose the doubles point, it doesn’t matter. We are just going to do what we do, which is compete hard.”
Vale led by example in dominant fashion with a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles, while Josh Goodger also made quick work of his opponent at No. 6 singles, winning 6-2, 6-4.
At No. 2 singles, captain Sam Riffice put together a sharp performance to win a three-set thriller by a score of 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Riffice tipped his cap to his opponent and added that this type of match is common once you enter SEC play.
“I’ve played (Tyler Stice) a couple times and it’s always been three sets,” Riffice said. “I know it’s going to be a war and every time we play a team in our conference, it’s going to be a war.”
Andy Andrade won a tightly-contested match at No. 3 singles. After taking the first set, 7-6 with a 7-2 tiebreaker, Andrade fell in the second set but was able to rally back for an impressive three-set victory.
Ben Shelton (No. 4 singles) and Lukas Greif (No. 5 singles) were forced to be perfect after dropping their first sets, and they were.
Shelton stormed back to win the final two sets 6-3, 6-3 while Greif caught fire late and won his final two sets by a score of 7-5, 6-3.
Additionally, Blaise Bicknell won his singles match (which did not count towards the dual match) while Will Grant and Johannes Ingildsen impressed as a duo at No. 2 doubles in a 6-3 victory.
Florida is now scheduled to hit the road for matches at LSU on Friday at 6 p.m. ET and at No. 10 Texas A&M on Sunday at noon ET.
Singles Results: 1, 6, 2, 4, 5, 3
1. Duarte Vale (UF) def. Tim Dollman (AU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Sam Riffice (UF) def. Tyler Stice (AU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
3. Andy Andrade (UF) def. Jan Galka (AU) 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 7-5
4. Ben Shelton (UF) def. Tad Maclean (AU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-3
5. Lukas Greif (UF) def. Maxwell Giddens (AU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
6. Josh Goodger (UF) def. Spencer Gray (AU) 6-2, 6-4
Blaise Bicknell (UF) def. Tom Wright (Auburn) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles Results: 2, 1, 3
1. Tad Maclean/Finn Murgett (AU) def. Sam Riffice/Duarte Vale (UF) 6-2
2. Johannes Ingildsen/Will Grant (UF) def. Tom Wright/Maxwell Giddens (AU) 6-3
3. Jan Galka/Tyler Stice (AU) def. Ben Shelton/Andy Andrade (UF) 6-4
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