Doubles Remain Strong in Day Two of Kitty Harrison Invitational
Gators Tennis secured two doubles victories over Duke, but faced adversity in the singles column.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- Florida closed out day two of the North Carolina based tournament tallying two doubles wins. The Gators now hold a combined five victories in the doubles category after two days of tournament play in Tar Heels territory.
Holding down No. 1 doubles for Florida was senior duo Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> and Bente Spee<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983>. The pairing defeated Duke’s Emma Jackson and Shavit Kimchi 6-4. Both Emma Jackson and Shavit Kimchi are ranked in the doubles category but with different partners. Jackson is ranked at No. 58 with Eleana Yu, and Kimchi comes in at No. 61 alongside Elizabeth Coleman. The experienced doubles players fell short to Dudeney and Spee, reflecting the power the senior Gators have on court together.
The second and final victory in doubles play came from freshmen Nikola Daubnerova<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/nikola-daubnerova/16984> and Noemie Oliveras. The newcomers secured a 6-4 win over Ava Krug and Katie Codd. Daubnerova and Oliveras now hold a two-match win streak heading into the final day of the Kitty Harrison Invitational.
The Gators were challenged by Duke in the singles category, coming up short on all three courts. Playing singles for the Gators on day two of the fall tournament was No. 103 Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980>, No. 122 Talia Neilson-Gatenby<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/talia-neilson-gatenby/17074>, and Noemie Oliveras. All three of Florida’s singles opponents were ranked in the top 55 proving to be tough competition from the start. Dudeney fell 6-1, 7-5 to No. 53 Elizabeth Coleman, Neilson-Gatenby was defeated 6-1, 6-3 by No. 49 Katie Codd, and Oliveras met highest ranked Duke player No. 41 Emma Jackson falling 6-0, 6-1.
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/coaches/roland-thornqvist/1919> Said:
Coach Thornqvist on doubles play and the freshmen performance:
“Another superb performance in doubles today. We showed great courage in play calling at the end and our freshmen showed how to close out a doubles point with movement at the net.”
Coach Thornqvist on the singles results from today:
“We didn’t make great adjustments going outside for singles and found ourselves trailing big immediately.”
Coach Thornqvist on looking ahead and closing out the tournament:
“Tomorrow is another good challenge and hopefully we can heal up some of these small injuries and put together a complete performance to finish the weekend.”
Final Singles Results:
#53 Elizabeth Coleman (DUKE) def. #103 Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> (Florida) 6-1, 7-5
#49 Katie Codd (DUKE) def. #122 Talia Neilson-Gatenby<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/talia-neilson-gatenby/17074> (Florida) 6-1, 6-3
#41 Emma Jackson (DUKE) def. Noemie Oliveras (Florida) 6-0, 6-1
Final Doubles Results:
Alicia Dudeney<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980>/Bente Spee<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> (Florida) def. Emma Jackson/Shavit Kimchi (DUKE) 6-4
Eleana Yu/Elizabeth Coleman (DUKE) def. #66 Talia Neilson-Gatenby<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/talia-neilson-gatenby/17074>/Qavia Lopez<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/qavia-lopez/16982> (Florida) 6-4
Nikola Daubnerova<https://floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/nikola-daubnerova/16984>/Noemie Oliveras (Florida) def. Ava Krug/Katie Codd (DUKE) 6-4
Up Next:
The Gators will conclude the Kitty Harrison Invitational on Sunday morning. Florida is slated to match up against North Carolina with doubles to start at 9:30 a.m.
Match Coverage:
Full coverage of the Kitty Harrison Invitational can be found through these links:
Live Stream<https://goheels.com/watch/search>
Live Stats<https://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statmonitr.php?gid=unc>
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