Florida Gators
William & Mary
No. 3 Women's Tennis Blanks William & Mary, 7-0
Friday, March 12, 2004 | Women's Tennis
The third-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team continued to roll through the early portion of its schedule with Thursday's 7-0 victory over No. 30 William & Mary. The victory, which was the Gator's (9-0) 26th consecutive victory dating back to last season, also was the team's 29th straight win at home.
Florida raced out to a quick 1-0 lead in the team scoring after sweeping William & Mary at all three doubles positions. However the Tribe came out battling to start the singles portion of the dual match and earned quick breaks on four of the courts in their first opportunity. That pattern didn't last long though, as the Gators roared back to even the match on three of those courts.
"I didn't think this was one of our better matches of the year," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "I thought we played well in doubles, but it looked like our level of intensity dropped in singles. We addressed that after the match because we can't afford for that to happen in our next matches when we play on the road."
Thursday's event concluded a season-opening nine-match home stand. The Gators next travel to Wake Forest on Saturday before facing fifth-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Monday.
One of the courts where Florida dominated from the opening toss was the No. 6 position. Freshman Nina Suvak ripped off the first five games of the match against Kristen Dunbar en route to winning the first set in 22 minutes and recording a 6-1, 6-2 victory and give the Gators a 2-0 lead.
Sophomore Boglarka Berecz was the next Gator off court, as she polished off Kate Boomershine 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 4 spot. Berecz lost her serve in the opening game of the match, but never looked back as she held for the remainder of the contest and earning breaks in the second fourth, sixth, 12th and 14th games of the match.
On the No. 1 court, UF's Alexis Gordon found herself looking an early 2-0 hole against Lena Sherakov, but powered her way back into the set. She earned a break in her next opportunity before earning another in the eighth game and then took the first set using a big first serve and following it with a blistering cross court forehand for a winner on set point en route to the 6-3, 6-3 victory that clinched the dual match for the Gators.
Zerene Reyes continued to paint the corners and lines all evening long against Emily Mowrey at the No. 3 position, where the Gator baseliner used breaks in the second and sixth games to take the first set 6-1. Four of the first five games of the second set were service breaks, with Reyes the beneficiary of three of those as she took a 4-1 lead after a winning a gruelingly long fifth game en route to the 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Lindsay Dawaf was staring at a 2-0 deficit in the early stages of her No. 5 match against Lingda Yang, but broke her opponent in the third game and earned another in the fifth before closing out the first with another to win the set and eventually the match 6-3, 6-4. The first eight games of the second set were service breaks, but Dawaf finally held in the ninth game and then broke Yang one final time in the 10th game to take the match.
The final match off the court was at the No. 2 position, where UF sophomore Jennifer Magley never quite found her groove, but found a way to battle to a 2-6, 6-4, 10-5 victory.
In doubles the No. 1 pair of Alexis Gordon and Julie Rotondi needed just 38 minutes to blank Kate Boomershine and Amy Wei 8-0. Six minutes later UF's No. 3 duo of Boglarka Berecz and Nina Suvak posted a 8-2 win against Alex de Guzman and Emily Mowrey to clinch the doubles point. Berecz and Suvak actually found themselves down an early break when the Tribe held a 2-1 lead with the serve. But the Gators broke right back and reeled off the next seven games to take the match. The No. 3 match featuring UF's Jennifer Magley and Zerene Reyes and W&M's Lena Sherakov and Lingda Yang began with three consecutive service breaks and the Gators holding a 2-1 advantage. Reyes held serve before UF earned another break and cruised to the 8-3 victory.
College Women's Tennis
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, Fla.
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Final Score: Florida 7, William & Mary 0
Doubles
No. 1 Alexis Gordon/Julie Rotondi (9), UF def. Kate Boomershine/Amy Wei, WM 8-0
No. 2 Jennifer Magley/Zerene Reyes (34), UF def. Lena Sherakov/Lingda Yang, WM 8-3
No. 3 Boglarka Berecz/Nina Suvak, UF def. Alex de Guzman/Emily Mowrey, WM 8-2
Singles
No. 1 Alexis Gordon (2), UF def. Lena Sherakov, WM 6-3, 6-3*
No. 2 Jennifer Magley (26), UF def. Amy Wei, WM 2-6, 6-4, 10-5
No. 3 Zerene Reyes (58), UF def. Emily Mowrey, WM 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 Boglarka Berecz, UF def. Kate Boomershine, WM 6-1, 6-3
No. 5 Lindsay Dawaf, UF def. Lingda Yang, WM 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 Nina Suvak, UF def. Kristen Dunbar, WM 6-1, 6-2
*clinched dual match and doubles point
Order of Finish: Doubles 1, 3, 2; Singles 6, 4, 1, 3, 5, 2
END OF REPORT
