Florida concludes regular season next week in Alabama
ATHENS, Ga. – With three courts playing in their third set, the Florida women’s tennis team was still very much within striking distance during Sunday’s match at No. 5 Georgia, but ultimately fell 4-1 to one of the nation’s top teams.
Florida (13-6, 7-4 SEC) dropped the doubles point to Georgia (17-4, 10-1 SEC) and played in a deficit early on the road.
After falling initially, the 54th-ranked doubles duo of Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee stormed back at No. 1 doubles, winning five of the next six games to secure a 6-4 victory.
Georgia’s No. 2 doubles team of Mell Reasco/Meg Kowalski, ranked No. 50 in the ITA rankings, evened up the doubles session with a 6-4 win over the Gators tandem of Carly Briggs/Rachel Gailis. The Bulldogs would take the early point after a win by No. 40 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn on No. 3 doubles, racing back from an early 3-0 deficit to fend off Emma Shelton/Sophie Williams.
After Bulldog straight-set wins at No. 1 and No. 3 singles, freshman Rachel Gailis made quick work on court four, winning 6-0, 6-3 to put the Gators on the scoreboard. Gailis posted her fifth-consecutive singles win headed into the final two matches of the regular season.
Briggs put up a fight against the No. 9 ranked Dasha Vidmanova, winning the first set 6-4. The senior Briggs had match point late in the second set, but couldn’t fend off Vidmanova, as the top-10 player in the country forced a third set. The highly contested match on court two would go unfinished after being tied 1-1 in the final set.
Dudeney and Spee, the Gators’ No. 1 doubles team, both secured leads in their singles matches. Dudeney earned a tough 7-5 first set win over No. 56 Mell Reasco, while Spee went up 6-3 quickly at the six singles slot. Georgia answered back with second-set wins on both courts to force winner-take-all sets with the match on the line.
The Bulldogs clinched the win on court six. Georgia’s Grant used her momentum from a second-set win to hold off Spee, prevailing to a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 win at six singles to seal the victory.
Florida will look to bounce back next week, when the Gators head to Alabama to square off against No. 50 Alabama on Friday, April 14 and No. 12 Auburn on Sunday, April 16.
QUOTES FROM THE COURT
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
On the match…
“Another tough close loss. We’ve found ourselves on the door step of winning more than once this season and fallen just shy. This team needs that one close match win and we can be off and running. The quality of tennis was high today which hopefully will help us to end the season in Alabama on a high note.”
Doubles Results
1. #53 Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee (UF) def. Ania Hertel/Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) 6-4
2. #50 Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) def. #79 Carly Briggs/Rachel Gailis (UF) 6-4
3. #40 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Emma Shelton/Sophie Williams (UF) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
Singles Results
1. #3 Lea Ma (UGA) def. #37 Sara Dahlstrom (UF) 6-0, 6-1
2. #9 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) vs. #45 Carly Briggs (UF) 4-6, 7-5, 1-1, unfinished
3. #56 Mell Reasco (UGA) vs. #86 Alicia Dudeney (UF) 5-7, 7-5, 0-0, unfinished
4. Rachel Gailis (UF) def. Ania Hertel (UGA) 6-0, 6-3
5. #125 Meg Kowalski (UGA) def. Emily De Oliveira (UF) 6-0, 6-3
6. Guillermina Grant (UGA) def. Bente Spee (UF) 3-6, 6-0, 7-5
Order of Finish: 5,1,4,6
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