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Thursday, March 28, 2024
Seniors Andy Andrade and Duarte Vale and junior Sam Riffice combine for a 30-8 record. Photo from UF-Auburn match Feb. 21.
Seniors Andy Andrade and Duarte Vale and junior Sam Riffice combine for a 30-8 record. Photo from UF-Auburn match Feb. 21.

The Gators seem warmed up after they tore through eight straight SEC opponents. Now, they prepare for a matchup against an elite program: Texas Christian University. 

The Horned Frogs stand tall with an 8-3 record and come in fresh off a 5-1 landslide win over No. 34 USF. Both teams can break the 3-3 the all-time series record, but Florida has the home court advantage this time around.

TCU’s strong point: doubles play

Florida has a strong six-man roster for singles, but the Horned Frog pairs are key to every TCU victory. The Frogs boast a  5-1 record after they gained the doubles point advantage and did so for two straight duals.

TCU freshman Jake Fearnley and junior Bertus Kruger upset No. 38 Pierre Luquet and Chase Ferguson and improved their overall record to 5-4. It marked their first ranked win as a couple.

Florida responded with the pair of sophomore Will Grant and redshirt senior Johannes Ingildsen, who remained perfect (8-0) after back-to-back matches against  Ole Miss and Miss State.

Sophomore Sander Jong and freshman Tadeas Paroulek impact the Horned Frogs’ doubles roster with their 7-3 record. 

Florida’s singles domination

Florida showed out in the singles portion Sunday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After the Gators earned the doubles point, every athlete on the starting six clinched their solo wins easily. 

Captain Duarte Vale was the only player taken into three sets against No. 87 Giovanni Oradini but still walked off with a win.

The Gators continue to dominate singles play since the season’s start. Sophomore Blaise Bicknell essentially earns  automatic wins on the court with a  20-0 record dating back to the previous shortened season.

Florida freshman Ben Shelton and senior Josh Goodger held their own streaks in the last month. Shelton claimed a substantial 12-1 solo record, and Goodger proved himself worthy of a spot in the starting six after a great 5-0 debut.

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Seniors Andy Andrade and Duarte Vale and junior Sam Riffice boast a roll of their own to combine for a 30-8 record in dual matches.

The No. 5 Horned Frogs becomes Florida's first out of conference opponent since the Jan. 25 matchup against UCF, which ended in a 5-2 Gators advantage.

The first serve of doubles play is set for Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Linder Stadium. The matchup will stream with live video and stats on FloridaGators.com.

Contact Jesse Richardson at jrichardson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @JesseRich352

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