As Ole Miss came off an upset victory against then-No. 11 Vanderbilt, it looked to continue its dominance and climb the Southeastern Conference rankings.
But the Gators thwarted those plans.
After almost pulling off a shocking win against No. 5 TCU, No. 22 Florida (8-8, 2-4 SEC) kept momentum rolling and conquered No. 23 Ole Miss (14-4, 2-4 SEC) 6-1 for its first home win of the SEC stretch.
“As complete a match we've played all year, couldn't be prouder,” said Florida men's tennis coach Adam Steinberg.
The conquest started on the doubles front as a new lineup and position changes took place.
Juniors Henry Jefferson and Jeremy Jin came out aggressive and played strong. The new duo picked up the second successful doubles finish, 6-4, securing Florida’s early lead.
“I didn't let them practice together,” Steinberg said. “I just wanted them to go out and play and not overthink.”
Freshman Andreas Timini and junior Kevin Edengren brought up the rear position, keeping the match tight early, but eventually went on to win three straight games to pick up the first successful doubles finish, 6-3.
The senior duo of Lorenzo Claverie and Pablo Perez Ramos took the main court and began with pace. Claverie carved up an ace, a powerful winner and quick returns, while Ramos supported. Their match went unfinished, 5-5 (30-0) in their favor.
With their aggressive play, the Gators continued their dominance in their singles matchups and began their quest for straight-set victories.
Timini swept the first set 6-1 against sophomore Loan Lestir. The Gator applied pressure the whole match and remained active. Lestir placed several balls in the corner between the baseline and sideline, yet Timini was able to get there in time and deliver some impressive returns to stay alive. He finished the match with a 6-4 set to push his singles record to 5-4.
“He got that deuce point at 5-4. I actually thought that was the biggest point of the entire dual match for us, so it was great,” Steinberg said.
Jefferson rolled through with a straight set victory. His long strides allowed him to cover the court and track down sophomore Matthieu Chambonniere’s tricky drop shots. The Gator first won 6-4 and then leaped out to a 4-0 lead. He closed it out with a 6-2 win.
Ramos recorded his first win of the match as he ruled the court. His first set was marked with a successful 6-3 win. Trying to close it out wasn't as easy as he fell victim to numerous unforced errors during his returns. His backhand returns couldn't jump the net as freshman Pietro Pampanin bounced back early. Ramos powered through and accounted for another straight-set victory, 6-4.
Junior Adhithya Ganesan returned to the singles contest for the first time since the ITA National Indoor Championships. His return and impact were evident. He took the early lead, but freshman Stefano D’Agostino quickly rebounded to force a tiebreaker set. Ganesan prevailed and took it 7-6 (7-4). He finished the match with the fourth and final straight-set victory. With his 6-4 success, he is now 4-3 in singles and snapped his two-match losing streak.
“One standout is Adhithya at one not planning in a month and a comeback like that was incredible,” Steinberg said.
Edengren was toppled 6-2 in the first set, but quickly answered with his own 6-3 set. With the game already officially called, their third set went to a long tiebreaker. Ultimately, the Gator fell 1-0 (12-10) for Florida’s only loss of the match.
Similarly, Jin fell 6-4 in his first set, tied a 6-6 middle set and forced a slightly shorter final set. His diving efforts proved beneficial as he stood tall against Vlado Jankanj in the final tiebreaker to end the match. He lost 7-6 (12-10) in the middle set and showed out for a 1-0 (10-4) final set victory.
Florida looks to carry this assertive performance for its double header on Sunday against No. 7 Mississippi State (14-2, 5-1 SEC) at 12 p.m. and UNF (8-6) at 5 p.m. at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
Contact Ethan Feinberg at efeinberg@alligator.org. Contact him on X @thefeinline.
Ethan Feinberg is a senior sports journalism student and the Spring 2026 men’s tennis reporter. He has previously written stories and produced audio sessions for WRUF, covering high school football. Ethan enjoys watching and playing sports like football and basketball, working out, fishing, cooking, and having a good laugh with his friends and family. His favorite sports teams are the New England Patriots, Miami Heat, Florida Panthers, and the Miami Marlins. (Drake "Drake Maye" Maye is the GOAT.)
