Tennis - The Independent Florida Alligator

UF women's tennis coach Roland Thornqvist said Monday's 4-3 loss to North Carolina State will make his team better in the future. “This is the first time competing at a level like this for a lot of them and it is going to take getting used to,” he said.

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Florida loses heartbreaker in ITA Kickoff Championship

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 28, 2019

Almost.

Sophomore Oliver Crawford has a 13-7 record in singles play this season.

Sports

Florida wins ITA Kickoff Weekend after lengthy rain delay

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 28, 2019

The clock struck 10:26 p.m. on Sunday, and the Gators men’s tennis team had finally clinched a 4-1 victory over Florida Atlantic University to claim the ITA Kickoff Weekend title and earn a spot in the ITA National Indoor Championships in Chicago.

Sophomore McCartney Kessler defeated UC Santa Barbara's Elizaveta Volodko in straight sets (6-1, 7-5) during the Gators' ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday.

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Gators singles play secures first win of season

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 26, 2019

The Gators women’s tennis team began the ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday afternoon against UC Santa Barbara at the Ring Tennis Complex.

Senior McClain Kessler fell in the second round of singles play at the ITA All-American Championships as well as in the second round of doubles play with partner Sam Riffice.

Sports

Gators men’s and women’s teams host ITA Kickoff Weekend

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 24, 2019

Both the Gators women’s and men’s tennis teams are back in action for the opening weekend of the spring season at home in the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The men’s team will open its 2019 campaign against William & Mary at 11 a.m., while the women’s team will take on UC Santa Barbara at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

UF coach Roland Thornqvist was pleased with how freshman Marlee Zein played in Las Vegas. “She played really well from both a physical and a mental perspective,” he said.

Sports

Cal comeback shocks Florida in home opener

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 23, 2019

Cheers echoed all night long through the Ring Tennis Complex. After backhand winners. After decisive break points. And after the final match point.

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Zein impresses during Florida’s spring debut in Vegas

By Victor Prieto | Jan. 22, 2019

It took just three days for freshman Marlee Zein to make an immediate impact for the Florida Gators tennis team.

Oliver Crawford helped team USA to a victory at the Master’U Collegiate Tournament to culminate a successful fall season that saw him claim singles titles at the USA F28 Futures and the UVA Masters.

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Crawford, USA victorious on trip to Europe

By Kyle Wood | Dec. 5, 2018

Oliver Crawford had redemption on his mind this past weekend.

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Kubicz claims singles title to bring fall season to end

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 11, 2018

The fall season for the UF women’s tennis team ended on the sweet note of victory.

Associate head coach Dave Balogh said he was pleased with the way his players performed Saturday at FSU. "“We played the big points extremely well and won four of five deuce points," he said in a release.

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Dimitrova and Zein win doubles title on Day 2 in Tallahassee

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 10, 2018

Hall-of-Fame catcher Yogi Berra once said, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” He was referring to when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle would hit consecutive home runs, but decades later, the same can be said about UF’s women’s tennis team at the Seminole All-Conference Showdown.

Junior Tsveta Dimitrova (pictured) and her doubles partner, freshman Marlee Zein, advanced to the Flight A Championship match in the doubles bracket of the Seminole All-Conference Showdown.

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Gators’ doubles play highlights Day 1 at the Seminole All-Conference Showdown

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 10, 2018

The doubles court highlighted the Seminole All-Conference Showdown for the Gators, which helped to offset a lackluster day of singles play.

Sophomore Ida Jarlskog nearly completed an improbable comeback Thursday. She lost to Vanderbilt's Fernanda Contreras, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the ITA Fall National Championships.

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Jarlskog, Kessler both eliminated from ITA Fall Nationals

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 9, 2018

Ida Jarlskog was outgunned on paper entering the match. She was taking on the singles draw’s top-seeded player in Vanderbilt’s Fernanda Contreras. The Swede immediately looked out of sorts after losing the first set 1-6.

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Jarlskog, Kessler lead Gators on Day 1 of Fall Nationals

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 7, 2018

Ida Jarlskog and McCartney Kessler had been the Gators’ women’s tennis team’s best players all fall. The two easily sliced through the ITA Southeastern Regional like a hot knife through butter, with Jarlskog defeating Kessler in the finals of that tournament.

Senior McClain Kessler wrapped up his fall season with a doubles loss in the Round of 16 at the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic.

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Dimitrova finishes strong, men sputter at end of tourney

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 5, 2018

Women’s team rebounds after tough opening day

Assistant coach Dave Balogh said his team didn't perform up to their own standard over the weekend. "I'm looking forward to seeing us build on this next weekend for our last fall event," he said.

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Dimitrova blitzes through consolation bracket as Gators wrap up tournament

By Brendan Farrell | Nov. 4, 2018

One of the reasons junior Tsveta Dimitrova wanted to transfer to the University of Florida was to challenge herself.

Sophomore Oliver Crawford won the singles portion of the USA F28 Futures tournament in Harlingen, Texas.

Sports

Oliver Crawford wins singles title, Gators dominate in Georgia

By Kyle Wood | Oct. 21, 2018

Oliver Crawford dominated the USA F28 Futures from start to finish. The sophomore lost just one set in five matches en route to a two-set victory in the final over Great Britain’s Andrew Watson to claim the Harlingen 25k singles title.

Sophomore Oliver Crawford has advanced to the quarterfinals of the USA F28 Futures tournament in Harlingen, Texas. He'll try and advance with a win during his 11 a.m. match today, while most of his UF teammates will see action at the ITA Regional Championships in Athens, Georgia.

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Florida to compete in ITA Regional Championships, USA F28 Futures events this week

By Kyle Wood | Oct. 19, 2018

For the second time this season the Florida men’s tennis team is in two places at once.

Sports

Florida’s ITA All-American run comes to an end

By Kyle Wood | Oct. 7, 2018

Oliver Crawford and Andy Andrade were in position to move on to the finals of the men’s main doubles draw Sunday afternoon. The duo swept through their first three rounds at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, setting up a matchup with Alex Kobelt and Kyle Seelig of Ohio State.

Sophomore Victoria Emma (pictured) and her doubles partner, junior Tsveta Dimitrova, lost narrowly (8-7) to the tournament's No. 1 seed of Southern California's Angela Kulikov and Rianna Valdes, eliminating them from the ITA All-American Championships. Emma later took victory in the tournament's singles back draw.

Sports

Gators come up short in California

By Kyle Wood | Oct. 4, 2018

The UF women’s tennis team suffered a loss in both the singles and doubles draws in the ITA All-American Championships qualifying rounds Wednesday, as it was bounced from the tournament hosted at Pepperdine University.

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Florida’s ITA All-American slate continues into the week

By Kyle Wood | Oct. 3, 2018

Oliver Crawford and Andy Andrade made it into the main draw of the ITA All-American Championships on Tuesday night.

McClain Kessler will be in action today at the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sports

Florida struggles in pre-qualifying round

By Kyle Wood | Sep. 30, 2018

The Florida men’s tennis team did not fare well in the pre-qualifying round of the ITA All-American Championships.