GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 1 University of Florida men's tennis team found themselves back in the win column this weekend, tallying a pair of dominant victories in defeating UCF, 6-1, and delivering a 7-0 sweep to the Stetson Hatters at the Alfred A. Ring Complex on Sunday. The Gators remained perfect in conquering the doubles point for the fifth consecutive match this season, while putting on a display in singles with 11 wins through the two matches, including freshman
Will Grant's first career dual singles win.
The day began with the Knights and Gators squaring off in doubles action, as UCF came out hungry in delivering UF's first doubles loss of the season, at the No. 2 position, despite the Gators holding on down the stretch to earn the doubles point.
UCF's No. 6-ranked doubles tandem of Gabriel Decamps and Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi would open the match in the Knight's favor, handing
Johannes Ingildsen and
Will Grant their first loss of the year in No. 2 doubles, 6-4. However, the Gators received a pick-me-up from juniors
Duarte Vale and
Josh Goodger on the No. 3 court, dropping Alan Rubio and JanMagnus Johnson, 6-3, for their second win together this season to shift the focus to No. 1 doubles as the point decider.
The No. 1 court saw a close battle between No. 14
Oliver Crawford and
Sam Riffice and UCF's Trey Hilderbrand and Bogdan Pavel, as both duos exchanged game-for-game up until the match was knotted at 5-5. Crawford gave the Gators a 6-5 advantage, rocketing a shot far corner past the two Knights before Riffice would secure the 7-5 victory the very next game to grant Florida its fourth-straight doubles point.
Upon taking the 1-0 lead, the Gators came out the gates with four immediate first-set wins prior to clinching the win with the first three singles victories on courts three, six and one.
No. 17
Duarte Vale brought in the first singles win of the day, dropping Rubio, 6-1, 6-2, for his first win at the No. 3 position this year. Shortly after, senior
Johannes Ingildsen would deliver a decisive 6-1, 6-1 loss to Trey Hilderbrand on court six to push Florida's lead to 3-0 early on.
No. 31
Oliver Crawford would be the one to seal the deal, as he would dominate No. 22 Gabriel Decamps with a 6-1, 6-1 decision on court one to add a top 25 ranked win on the year and grant Florida the victory at 4-0 despite finishing out the singles lineup.
The Knights would get on the board upon a win in No. 5 singles, as No. 108 Bogdan Pavel and Goodger went the distance to three sets, though, Pavel would prevail in a super tiebreaker, 1-6, 6-3, 13-11, to give Goodger his first loss of the dual season.
No. 4
Sam Riffice found himself in a competitive matchup with No. 29 Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi on court two, taking the first set, 6-3, before climbing back late in the second set to come out on top in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (4), to push the lead to 5-1. Lastly, No. 72
Andy Andrade would conclude the match in No. 4 singles with a straight-set 7-6 (5), 6-3 decision over Johnson to end the match at 6-1 for Florida's third win of the season.
Not too long after the first match's end, mother nature would hold different plans for the evening matchup with Stetson as rain would force the match to be played on three courts inside the indoor tennis facility.
The Hatters came into the evening matchup also threatening to give Florida its first doubles point loss, though, the Gators managed to survive a tiebreaker in No. 1 doubles to continue its streak on the year.
Junior
Andy Andrade and sophomore
Harrison Cacciatore rang in the first doubles win on court three, 6-4, over Clement Hamel and Alexandre Hillhouse for their first win of the year paired together. Meanwhile, Grant and Ingildsen (No. 1) and
Brian Berdusco and
Greysen Cacciatore (No. 2) found themselves in tight matchups on their respective courts.
As Berdusco and G. Cacciatore battled their match in No. 2 doubles to an eventual tiebreak, Stetson's Antoine Sanchez and Linus Bergevi clawed back from a 5-2 deficit, winning four straight games over Ingildsen and Grant in threat of claiming the doubles point with a 6-5 edge. However, the Gators' No. 1 tandem showed resiliency in forcing a tiebreak and coming out on top, 7-6 (4), to conquer the 1-0 lead and leave No. 2 doubles unfinished.
Similar to the UCF match, Florida was relentless in singles action, taking match after match with ease up until the last remaining match in No. 6 singles, featuring freshman
Will Grant.
No. 17 Vale again brought the first win, this time in No. 2 singles over Bergevi, 6-0, 6-1, while Goodger redeemed his loss earlier with a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Hamel on court three.
No. 4 Riffice would clinch the match shortly after at the No. 1 position, 6-2, 6-2, over Sanchez to push the 4-0 advantage, followed by No. 118
Blaise Bicknell securing his fourth consecutive singles victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Fabian Penzkofer in No. 4 singles. No. 71
Lukas Greif then added his second win of the year at the No. 5 position, dropping Sven Thiergard, 6-1, 6-0, prior to Grant's lengthy matchup in No. 6 singles.
Will Grant faced the Hatters' Alexandre Hillhouse in No. 6 singles, taking the first set, 6-4, before exchanging game after game in the second set to force a tiebreak. With Hillhouse looking to force a third set, Grant would find his rhythm to best Hillhouse, 6-4, 7-6 (3), to pick up his first career dual singles win as a Gator and conclude the sweep for the blue and orange.
#1 University of Florida 6, UCF 1
Singles competition - 3,6,1,5,2,4, (Order of finish)
1. #31
Oliver Crawford (UF) def. #22 Gabriel Decamps (UCF) 6-1, 6-1
2. #4
Sam Riffice (UF) def. #29 Juan Pablo Mazzuchi (UCF) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
3. #17
Duarte Vale (UF) def. Alan Rubio (UCF) 6-1, 6-2
4. #72
Andy Andrade (UF) def. JanMagnus Johnson (UCF) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
5. #108 Bogdan Pavel (UCF) def.
Josh Goodger (UF) 1-6, 6-3, 13-11
6.
Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. Trey Hilderbrand (UCF) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition – 2,3,1 (Order of finish)
1. #14
Oliver Crawford/
Sam Riffice (UF) def. Trey Hilderbrand/Bogdan Pavel (UCF) 7-5
2. #6 Gabriel Decamps/Juan Pablo Mazzuchi (UCF) def.
Will Grant/
Johannes Ingildsen (UF) 6-4
3.
Duarte Vale/
Josh Goodger (UF) def. Alan Rubio/JanMagnus Johnson (UCF) 6-3
#1 University of Florida 7, Stetson 0
Singles competition – 2,3,1,4,5,6 (Order of finish)
1. #4
Sam Riffice (UF) def. Antoine Sanchez (STET) 6-2, 6-2
2. #17
Duarte Vale (UF) def. Linus Bergevi (STET) 6-0, 6-1
3.
Josh Goodger (UF) def. Clement Hamel (STET) 6-4, 6-1
4. #118
Blaise Bicknell (UF) def. Fabian Penzkofer (STET) 6-3, 6-2
5. #71
Lukas Greif (UF) def. Sven Thiergard (STET) 6-1, 6-0
6.
Will Grant (UF) def. Alexandre Hillhouse (STET) 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
Doubles competition – 3,1 (Order of finish)
1.
Will Grant/
Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. Antoine Sanchez/Linus Bergevi (STET) 7-6 (7-4)
2.
Brian Berdusco/
Greysen Cacciatore (UF) vs. Sven Thiergard/Fabian Penzkofer (STET) 6-6, unfinished
3.
Harrison Cacciatore/
Andy Andrade (UF) def. Clement Hamel/Alexandre Hillhouse (STET) 6-4
UP NEXT:
- The Gators welcome USF, Fresno State and Temple to the Alfred A. Ring Complex for ITA Kick-Off Weekend on Jan. 25-26. USF and Fresno State are set to face off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, followed by UF and Temple at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, will feature the ITA Kick-Off consolation match between Saturday's two losing teams, followed by the ITA Kick-Off Championship at 2 p.m.