No. 47 Florida pulled out a 4-3 upset over the No. 34 Crimson Tide on Wednesday night, securing their spot in round two of the SEC Tournament.
AUBURN, Ala.- The Florida Gators matched up against a challenging Alabama team in the first round of the 2025 SEC Tournament. UF was slated as the No. 12 seed and defeated the thirteenth seeded Crimson Tide 4-3 on Wednesday night.
The matchup started at 3 p.m. CT and stretched for upwards of four hours at Yarbrough Tennis Center. Two of the three doubles contests were determined in tiebreakers and three singles matches were forced into a third set. Florida’s win over Alabama marks head coach Per Nilsson<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/coaches/per-nilsson/2018>’s first postseason victory as a Gator.
Doubles Action:
Florida clinched the doubles point against Alabama in dramatic fashion, showcasing their composure under pressure. Court one finished first, with the Gators battling in a close back-and-forth contest but Alicia Dudeney<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> and Bente Spee<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> ultimately fell 6-4 to Petra Sedlackova and Margaux Maquet.
On Court three, Florida’s Talia Neilson-Gatenby<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/talia-neilson-gatenby/17074> and Noemie Oliveras found themselves in a tiebreaker against Alabama’s Maria Martinez Vaquero and Maria Andrienko, UF started strong in the tiebreaker with a 2-0 lead, but Alabama came back with five consecutive points to take a 5-2 advantage. Refusing to back down, the Gators responded by winning the next three points to level it at 5-5. The freshman duo continued their momentum to take the next two at 7-5 to even the doubles competition.
Court two was now the deciding match for the doubles point and the duo of Rachel Gailis<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> and Nikola Daubnerova<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/nikola-daubnerova/16984> faced a daunting 40-15 deficit at 6-5. Alabama was once again within arm’s reach of the doubles point, but UF did not back down. Florida saved three match points and won the game to tie up the match at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. With momentum on their side, Gailis and Daubnerova cruised past the tiebreaker at 7-2, securing the doubles point to give UF a 1-0 advantage heading into singles.
Singles Play:
Alabama struck first in singles play, claiming wins on the lower courts. On Court five, Sara Nayar overpowered Florida’s Noémie Oliveras with a 6-4, 6-1 victory to tie the match at 1-1. Moments later, Margaux Maquet gave the Crimson Tide a 2-1 lead by defeating freshman Reagan Parker<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/reagan-parker/17708> 6-2, 6-1 on Court 6.
With the Gators down by one, freshman Talia Neilson-Gatenby<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/talia-neilson-gatenby/17074> stepped up in a pivotal moment on Court three. Facing Alabama’s Klara Milicevic, Neilson-Gatenby took the first set 6-4 before finding herself down 4-0 in the second. However, the freshman took it point by point, rallying back to win the next six games straight to solidify a straight set win at 6-4, 6-4. With UF’s win on court three, the score stood even once more at 2-2.
Attention then shifted to Court one, where a marquee top-50 matchup was unfolding between Florida’s No. 30 Rachel Gailis<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> and Alabama’s No. 38 Petra Sedlackova. After splitting the first two sets, Gailis found another gear in the decider, dominating with added net play. The junior closed out the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, putting Florida back in the lead at 3-2.
Alabama refused to go quietly as Maria Martinez-Vaque and Bente Spee<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> battled on Court four. Spee took the first set 6-4 with a strong service game and net pressure, but Martinez-Vaque came back, blanking Spee in the second set 6-0 and ultimately securing the win in the third, 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. Alabama’s victory tied the overall match once again at 3-3 and left the postseason contest up to Court two.
In the deciding match, Florida’s Alicia Dudeney<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> delivered under immense pressure. Facing Maria Andrienko, Dudeney fell in the first set 6-4, but dug deep in the second to pull out an impressive 6-4 comeback win. Dudeney was down for the majority of the match but she came through for the Gators when it mattered most, closing out the final set 6-3. Dudeney’s win clinched Florida’s 4-3 team victory over Alabama, securing their spot in round two of the 2025 SEC Tournament.
GATOR BITES:
Coach Per Nilsson<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/coaches/per-nilsson/2018> on Florida’s fight in the first round of the SEC Tournament:
“With all of the challenges we faced this spring, from injuries, to not having a full squad, we needed something to go our way. Claiming the doubles point was key tonight and I thought everybody was competing well; not getting in their own way, not allowing the negative to takeover, and it paid off.”
Coach Per Nilsson<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/coaches/per-nilsson/2018> on senior Alicia Dudeney<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> clinching the match for the Gators:
“Alicia has now won 11 matches straight in the SEC and not many people can do that. She has also had the best attitude at practice and consistently comes with high energy, so she earns moments like that.”
FINAL RESULTS:
Final Singles Results:
1. #30 Rachel Gailis<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981> (UF) def. #38 Petra Sedlackova (UA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
2. #53 Alicia Dudeney<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980> (UF) def. Maria Andrienko (UA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. Talia NeilsonGatenby (UF) def. Klara Milicevic (UA) 6-4, 6-4
4. Maria Martinez-Vaque (UA) def. Bente Spee<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> (UF) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
5. Sara Nayar (UA) def. Noemie Oliveras (UF) 6-4, 6-1
6. Margaux Maquet (UA) def. Reagan Parker<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/reagan-parker/17708> (UF) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: 5, 6, 3, 1, 4, 2
Final Doubles Results:
1. Petra Sedlackova/Margaux Maquet (UA) def. #22 Alicia Dudeney<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/alicia-dudeney/16980>/Bente Spee<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/bente-spee/16983> (UF) 6-4
2. #11 Rachel Gailis<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/rachel-gailis/16981>/Nikola Daubnerova<https://admin.floridagators.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/nikola-daubnerova/16984> (UF) def. #81 Maria Martinez-Vaque/Maria Andrienko (UA) 7-6 (7-2)
3. Noemie Oliveras/Talia NeilsonGatenby (UF) def. Klara Milicevic/Sara Nayar (UA) 7-6 (7-5)
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
TEAM RECORDS:
No. 47 Florida: (9-13, 4-11 SEC)
No. 34 Alabama: (13-14, 4-11 SEC)
UP NEXT:
The Gators will now play the fifth seeded Commodores in round two of the SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt will enter Thursday’s matchup off a first round bye. The matchup is set for a 3 p.m. CT start time and will be played at Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Ala.
No. 13 Vanderbilt: (18-5, 11-4 SEC)
* SEC Tournament Round Two
* Date: Thursday, Apr. 17
* Time: 3 p.m. CT
* Site: Yarbrough Tennis Center<https://auburntigers.com/yarbrough-tennis-center>
* Watch<https://auburntigers.com/womens-tennis-live-stream>
* Live stats<https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=586873>
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