Florida Gators
LSU
Women?s Tennis Defeats LSU for Sixth Straight Win
Sunday, March 26, 2006 | Women's Tennis
The sixth-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team defeated LSU 7-0 Sunday afternoon to win its sixth consecutive match and improve to 12-1 overall and 6-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
The Gators earned straight set singles wins at every position against the Lady Tigers (8-8, 0-6 SEC) en route to their eighth sweep of the season. UF improved to 31-0 all-time against LSU and 129-1 all-time at home versus SEC opponents.
“This is about as good as I've seen us this season, UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “Our players have done a good job with everything off the court, taking care of themselves and rehabbing any injuries. Now, we're starting to get healthy and we're able to practice harder and longer and it's showing on the court.”
Florida captured the doubles point and took a quick 2-0 lead in the team scoring after LSU's Daysi Espinal defaulted at the No. 6 singles position after Lolita Frangulyan won the first two games. Alex Liles provided the first completed singles victory with her 6-1, 6-1 decision against Tiffany Tucker on court No. 4. Liles opened the match with a break and never looked back en route to her seventh dual match win of the season.
Gator junior Diana Srebrovic provided the clinching team point on court No. 1, defeating Mykala Hedberg 6-1, 6-2. Srebrovic lost her serve for the first time in the match in the fourth game of the second set, but quickly regrouped and countered with a break, held at love before breaking again and serving out for the victory to improve her 28-6 overall, 10-3 in dual match action.
Senior Alexis Gordon followed a few minutes later with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Marina Chiarelli at the No. 2 spot. Eight of the nine games in the first set were breaks, with Gordon the benefactor of the lone hold in the fourth game as she captured the opening frame. Gordon then held and broke to begin the second set, riding that break into the sixth game where she broke again en route to the win and improve to 15-2 this season, 11-1 in dual matches.
Keri Robison, UF's lone freshman, made her collegiate singles debut a straight set success, polishing off Camila Caliari 6-2, 6-2 on court No. 5. Robison and Caliari traded breaks early in the first set before Robison broke again in the fourth game to take the advantage. She rallied in several games, including on her serve in the seventh game, where she trailed 0-40, but came back to hold before fighting off a game-point in the next to take the break and the first set. The two traded breaks to open the second set before Robison broke again in the sixth game and that was the difference in the set.
Sophomore Whitney Benik extended her team-high singles win streak to 13 straight after she capped the dual match with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Anastasiya Dubova on court No. 3. The first break of the second set came in the sixth game, where Benik was the owner of that, as she took the 4-2 advantage, held and then broke again to complete the Gator sweep.
Florida next steps out of SEC action, traveling to Durham, N.C., to face No. 10 Duke on Tuesday before venturing to Alabama on Friday and Auburn on Sunday.
Women's College Tennis
LSU at No. 6 Florida
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, Fla.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Final Score: Florida 7, LSU 0
Doubles
No. 1 Whitney Benik/Alexis Gordon, UF def. Mykala Heberg/Tiffany Tucker, LSU 8-2*
No. 2 Lolita Frangulyan/Diana Srebrovic (47), UF def. Marina Chiarelli/Anastasiya Dubova, LSU 8-1
No. 3 Keri Robison/Nina Suvak, UF vs. Daysi Espinal/Lauren Seaman, LSU – did not finish, UF led 4-3, up one break when play abandoned
Singles
No. 1 Diana Srebrovic (4), UF def. Mykala Hedberg, LSU 6-1, 6-2*
No. 2 Alexis Gordon (37), UF def. Marina Chiarelli, LSU 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 Whitney Benik (87), UF def. Anastasiya Dubova, LSU 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Alex Liles, UF def. Tiffany Tucker, LSU 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 Keri Robison, UF def. Camila Caliari, LSU 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Lolita Frangulyan, UF def. Daysi Espinal, LSU 2-0, default
Order of Finish: Doubles 2, 1; Singles 6, 4, 1, 2, 5, 3
END OF REPORT
