A sunny sky and an at-home crowd seemed to be the perfect formula for the Florida women’s tennis team. Drawing up a clean sheet in doubles and singles, the Gators swept the Trojans 4-0 in the first matchup of their doubleheader Friday.
Coming off a loss against No. 8 NC State that cost them a ticket to the ITA Indoor Championship, the Gators were determined to change their fate at home. Florida improved their all-time record to 5-0 against the Trojans, who it faced for the first time since 2012.
Doubles play kicked off to a dominant start, as Florida continued to prove the strength in doubles they’ve shown all spring season.
Valery Gynina and Brooke Black opened the matchplay with the momentum you’d expect from a pair that had won their last three games. The duo finished the match in less than 30 minutes, securing every single point to defeat Troy’s Sama Hindawy and Emilia Namyslo 6-0. The pair has already begun a statement win streak in just their first season playing together.
“I think we’ve only gotten better with every match,” Black said, adding that she and Gynina “get pretty feisty, it's the Russian nature.”
On court one, Florida’s No. 22-ranked doubles pair of senior Xinyi Nong and sophomore Nikola Daubnerova continued the lead, serving Trojans Maria Guirguis and Valeriia Avdeeva a 6-2 beating. This is the ninth win for the pair this season, setting them up strongly to improve in the ITA rankings.
Finishing the job against the Trojans, Gators India Houghton and Lucie Pawlak were en route to a victory over Alexia Zarate and Leena Metwally, leading 5-2.
Hoping to continue their dominance, singles play started just as the Gators wanted.
Freshman Black brought the momentum from her doubles win to defeat the Trojan’s Zarate in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. The Gator says this was the first time she finished singles play first, and that “it was nice to get that out of the way and be able to support my teammates afterwards.”
Nong showed no mercy against opponent Hindawy, defeating her in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.
In the final singles match, Daubenrova quickly finished Troy’s Namyslo in 6-2, 6-1. With the Gators having an overwhelming advantage, all other singles matches finished.
Head coach Per Nilsson said this win against Troy gives the team the chance to build confidence and secure future wins.
“We need wins so that going into the SEC, they feel comfortable with some of the plays they're using out there,” he said. “No matter who we play, we have to bring it anytime.”
Florida continues the at-home doubleheader against Louisiana later today at 4 p.m. Then, the Gators open the SEC season hosting Auburn at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex on Feb. 21.
Contact Sofia Alamo at salamo@alligator.org. Follow her on X @alamosofiaa.
Sofia Alamo is a Sports Journalism freshman at UF and the university’s Women’s Tennis beat reporter. Her favorite sports are soccer and tennis, and she aspires to be a sports broadcaster in the future.
