The No. 32 Gators collect their first road win of the season in a 4-2 victory over the No. 34 Georgia Bulldogs.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators Men’s Tennis earned their first win away from Gainesville in a 4-2 victory over the No. 34 Georgia Bulldogs featuring four straight singles wins to storm all the way back after trailing 2-0 to begin the day.
How it Happened
Florida began Sunday’s match with an uncharacteristically slow start, dropping the doubles point by dropping sets two and three. Aidan Kim and Nate Bonetto put up a dominant 6-3 set on court one. The hard-fought win by Georgia’s Mahjoob/Perez Peña tandem would set the tone for the rest of the match, as they stormed back from 4-2 to take court three 6-4, and steal the 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Kevin Edengren continued to be a revelation for the Gators, as he collected his second crucial court-six win for Florida in as many matches. With the Gators then trailing 2-0, Edengren’s 6-1, 6-4 straight-sets victory put the gators on the board, just as courts two through five were each headed to their respective third sets.
Adhithya Ganesan returned to the Gators’ singles lineup for the first time since March 8, and again found the form that the he had showcased early in the Gators’ dual schedule. Ganesan quickly hopped out to a 6-3 win of the first set. Georgia’s Niels Ratiu stole the momentum of the match to tie court three at a set apiece with a 6-3 mark of his own, before Ganesan completely shut down his opponent, taking the third set 6-1, and tying the dual at 2-2.
Aidan Kim posted the most impressive comeback of the day on court two. Kim dropped his first set 6-1, but shocked the Magill Tennis Complex crowd with a five-game winning run to claim set two 6-1. Kim and Georgia’s Ryan Colby battled hard to a 5-5 third set before Kim secured a crucial break point and held serve to win set three, 7-5.
Gators sophomore Tanapatt Nirundorn secured the fourth point for Florida with a win in his own three-set battle on court five. Nirundorn earned a crucial break point to take a 5-4 lead in his third set, and held serve against the Bulldogs’ Cyrus Mahjoob to take his match 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and secure the win on the road for the Orange and Blue.
Next Up
The Gators return to Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex on Friday, April 5 against the Vanderbilt commodores at 5 p.m.
Results
Singles competition
1. #61 Thomas Paulsell (UGA) def. #66 Jeremy Jin (UF) 6-4, 6-0
2. Aidan Kim (UF) def. #58 Ryan Colby (UGA) 1-6, 6-1, 7-5
3. Adhithya Ganesan (UF) def. Niels Ratiu (UGA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
4. #81 Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) vs. Nate Bonetto (UF) 4-6, 6-4, 1-4, unfinished
5. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) def. Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
6. Kevin Edengren (UF) def. Freddy Blaydes (UGA) 6-1, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #67 Nate Bonetto/Aidan Kim (UF) def. Freddy Blaydes/Niels Ratiu (UGA) 6-3
2. Ryan Colby/Thomas Paulsell (UGA) def. Jeremy Jin/Henry Jefferson (UF) 6-3
3. Cyrus Mahjoob/Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Kevin Edengren/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) 6-4
Match Notes:
Florida 10-9, 4-5 SEC; National ranking #32
Georgia 10-11, 3-6 SEC; National ranking #34
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,6,3,2,5)
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