Florida Gators
#43 South Florida
No. 7 Florida Women's Tennis Blanks South Florida, 7-0
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | Women's Tennis
The seventh-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team passed its final test before next weekend's national team tournament, blanking South Florida, 7-0, on Monday at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
Monday was Florida's last tune-up before traveling to Madison, Wis., to compete in the prestigious ITA National Team Indoor Championships that will feature each of the top 12-ranked schools in the country. The event began two weekends ago with first and second rounds played throughout the country, and resumes Friday, Feb. 12, with the round of 16, where the Gators drew No. 16 Michigan.
Florida improved to 6-0 this season after Monday's convincing win over the Bulls (2-2), sweeping the doubles competition, before capturing five of the first six singles matches in straight sets.
“In doubles we stumbled a little, we had to find a way to win which I think will prove to be helpful by the time we get to Madison,” UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “We did a fabulous job in singles. We came out swinging and were very determined. They have very good players but I thought we were really ready to play. We've done what we were supposed to be doing leading up to the National Indoors. We really focused today on trying to come into the net and there will be plenty of opportunity to do that this weekend.”
Freshman Caroline Hitimana (Belgium) was the first to post a singles victory, taking down Natalia Guevara, 6-1, 6-1, in 56 minutes. Fellow rookie Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) continued her impressive season, as she earned a 6-2, 6-0, win in 62 minutes against No. 52 Ecaterina Vasenina on court No. 2.
With Florida holding a 3-0 lead, the four remaining singles matches continued for 20 minutes until the Gators were able to secure the team victory.
Anastasia Revzina (Russia) rolled through her first set versus Janette Bejlkova at the No. 4 position and raced out to a 5-0 lead in the second, before Bejlkova rallied to win four consecutive games. The Gator senior settled down and closed out the match by breaking Bejlkova in the 10th game for the 6-3, 6-4 victory and clinch the dual match for Florida.
Two minutes later, freshman Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) earned an impressive 6-3, 6-2 victory against No. 77 Irene Rehberger on the showcase court. After winning the first set that featured six breaks, Embree found herself trailing 2-0 to start the second. That's when she regained her focus and ripped off the remaining six games to capture the win and improve her singles record to 15-2.
Senior Marrit Boonstra (The Netherlands) clocked in her 6-1, 6-3 decision over Melissa Koning four minutes after Embree shook hands. The Gator veteran lost her serve just once in the match, but quickly regrouped and won the final four games of the second set to earn the victory.
Sophomore Claire Bartlett (Chattanooga, Tenn.) emerged from her two-hour and 18-minute bout against Natalie Guevara victorious, gutting out a 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9) win at the No. 6 position to provide the team sweep.
Florida won the doubles point, as it has done in every dual match this season, capturing all three doubles matches to take the 1-0 lead in the team scoring.
The featured doubles match didn't count toward the team scoring since Florida already had won on courts No. 2 and No. 3, but the Gator tandem of Marrit Boonstra and Allie Will showed how talented of team they can be the more time they have together. Boonstra and Will, ranked No. 26 nationally, upset eighth-ranked Melissa Koning and Irene Rehberger, 8-5, to post their second win against a top-10 opponent and improve to 6-0. The match was on-serve through four games, after trading breaks to begin. The next five games all were breaks, with Boonstra ending the trend on her serve by holding to take a 6-4 lead. Will also held on her service game and Gator duo broke in the 12th and final game to earn the victory.
The Gator No. 2 pair of Lauren Embree and Anastasia Revzina was the first off the court, needed 38 minutes to post a 8-3 victory over Janette Bejlkova and Ecaterina Vasenina. Embree and Revzina jumped out to a 4-1 lead behind a two breaks, before the teams traded serves. Embree held in the eighth game to stop the trend and the Gators wrapped up the win with another break in the 11th game, improving to 7-1 this season and winning their fourth consecutive match.
Caroline Hitimana and Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) provided the clinching doubles-point win with their 8-4 victory against Natalia Guevara and Allyn Mueller. In a match that featured seven breaks of serve, the Gators came out on top after earning late ones as they won the final four games to secure the first team point in 53 minutes.
Women's College Tennis
No. 43 USF at No. 7 Florida
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, Fla.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Final Score: Florida 7, USF 0
Doubles
No. 1 (26) Marrit Boonstra/Allie Will (UF) d. (8) Melissa Koning/Irene Rehberger (USF), 8-5
No. 2 Lauren Embree/Anastasia Revzina (UF) d. Janette Bejlkova/Ecaterina Vasenina (USF), 8-3
No. 3 Caroline Hitimana/Joanna Mather (UF) d. Natalia Guevara/Allyn Mueller (USF), 8-4*
Singles
No. 1 (15) Lauren Embree (UF) d. (77) Irene Rehberger (USF), 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 (13) Allie Will (UF) d. (52) Ecaterina Vasenina (USF), 6-2, 6-0
No. 3 (81) Marrit Boonstra (UF) d. Melissa Koning (USF), 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 (92) Anastasia Revzina (UF) d. Janette Bejlkova (USF), 6-3, 6-4*
No. 5 Caroline Hitimana (UF) d. Allyn Mueller (USF), 6-1, 6-1
No. 6 Claire Bartlett (UF) d. Natalia Guevara (USF), 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9)
* indicates clinching doubles/dual match point
Order of Finish: Doubles-2, 3, 1; Singles-5, 2, 4, 1, 3, 6
Updated Records: Florida 6-0, South Florida 2-2
-UF-
