Securing its first Southeastern Conference win over No. 41 Kentucky in a late-game thriller Friday was almost the right spark Florida (7-6, 1-3 SEC) needed to get back on track.
The Gators entered their first home match of SEC play with plenty of confidence, but hit a roadblock: No. 22 South Carolina (10-2, 3-1 SEC).
Ultimately, the Gamecocks were on their game, en route to a 5-2 duel match victory.
“I thought we were inconsistent with everything today, with our play and our connection as a team. I don't think we played the way we are capable of,” said Florida men's tennis head coach Adam Steinberg. “We played selfishly in a lot of ways.”
UF’s third conference game was one of its hardest, as the Gamecocks had them sliding and losing racquets all over the court. It came down to junior Jeremy Jin to keep the match alive, but he couldn’t get it done.
This ineffective play stuck with the Gators throughout the day, as they trailed from the start of doubles and could not seem to find the right momentum.
“We have to find a way to consistently win that doubles point and play better. It will change everything. That should be a source of pride on our team,” Steinberg said. “That for me should be the focus.”
In the doubles portion, junior Kevin Edengren and freshman Andreas Timini dominated the first few games, but their opponents recovered and pushed the match to a close 6-4 in favor of South Carolina.
The No. 89 pairing of junior Henry Jefferson and senior Lorenzo Claverie faced the highest doubles pairing of the match in No. 28 Paul Barbier Gazeu and Lucas Andrade Da Silva. The day started off well for them with some aces and dominant put-backs, but as the game stretched, the Gators were the first duo to fall, 6-2.
“We didn't play well at one, but they have been doing a great job all year for us. It’s tough in the SEC. You lose the doubles to get four straight singles, which is not easy, and it puts a lot of pressure on us,” Steinberg said.
Senior duo Pablo Perez Ramos and Tanappatt Nirundorn faced No. 86 doubles, sophomore Max Strenzer and junior Sean Daryabeigi. The Gators stepped out in front, but the Gamecocks quickly rebounded. Their match was left unfinished, favoring the Gators 5-4.
For a second straight game, the Gators needed to dominate the singles to come out alive.
No. 41 Ramos dominated No. 51 Daryabeigi 6-3 in the first set. During the intense set, Ramos got the hype going by heading a ball in celebration after notching an impressive sixth-game win. He was then fueled for the rest of the match. Daryabeigi halted that momentum with a 6-2 middle frame win. The senior fell in the long and final 6-4 set.
Even with No. 46 Jin’s high velocity swings, the Gamecocks’ sophomore Atakan Karahan was able to get under them and prevail for a close 7-6 (7-5) first set win. The Aussie lost 6-4 in the crucial set.
“He lost confidence, he hasn't played much, there is a belief factor there that's hard when you haven't played in a long time,” Steinberg said. “He stepped up after a long injury here, and it’s going to take him a bit to get his confidence back.”
Despite Nirundorn’s earlier lackluster performance in doubles, he was able to slip out with Florida's first point 6-4, 6-3.
“He has been working hard, he didn’t play Friday, but this was a big win for him and that stood out,” Steinberg said.
Edengren’s match was paused during the third game as the training staff attended to his injury. The Swede powered through and won his first set 7-6 (7-4). He finished the match strong with a 6-3 victory.
No. 29 Jefferson continued his relentless campaign against No. 44 Da Silva in the center court of the singles match. He hit a bump in play in the eighth game, falling 6-3, and could not stabilize. He then fell 6-4 in the third.
No. 70 Gazeu cleared Claverie, defeating him 6-4 in both sets.
Florida looks to rebound against No. 14 Texas A&M at 5 p.m. on Friday 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.)
