Gator Tennis Signs Three to National Letters of Intent
Monday, November 14, 2016 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three top-level tennis players have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Gator men's tennis team in the 2017-18 season.
This new recruiting class brings in some of the most sought-after athletes in the nation. Andy Andrade, a Blue Chip recruit from Bradenton, Fla., brings five ITF doubles titles (alongside fellow commit Duarte Vale) and a 20-5 ITF doubles record in 2016 to UF. Oliver Crawford is also a Blue Chip recruit, ranking top five in his class on TennisRecruiting.net, with an ITF ranking of 41 and a recent runner up in the ITF Grade 1 Prince George's County International Hard Court Junior Championships. Duarte Vale comes to the Gators from Portugal, where he is ranked No. 42 in the ITF rankings, and won the doubles competition with fellow commit, Andy Andrade, at the ITF Grade 1 Copa Barranquilla.
Andy Andrade
Bradenton, Fla.
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on Andrade:
"We are very happy to sign Andy here at the University of Florida. Andy loves the Gators, and with his high character he will be a guy everyone on our team will enjoy. Andy values the education he will receive at Florida and is committed to working hard to achieve his academic goals. Andy has long been regarded as one of the best talents in his class. His talent coupled with his desire to be great will help him reach his goals while he is playing for the Gators and beyond. Andy is one of those rare prospects that will instantly be a dual threat in both singles and doubles. I believe Andy has amazing potential and will probably be the guy who exceeds expectations."
Quoting Andy Andrade:
"I feel so happy and excited to join the Gator Family. It is a dream come true for me to don the orange and blue and compete for UF. I can't wait to join the team and am so eager to begin working with the coaching staff to continue my development. Go Gators!"
Oliver Crawford
Spartanburg, S.C.
"University of Florida tennis certainly got better with this class, and Oliver Crawford is certainly a big part of that. Oliver has proven to be one of the best prospects in his class. Oliver is an excellent student who will represent the Gators with class. We have already established such a good relationship and Oliver has embraced the things that we value. Oliver's work ethic and competitive spirit will continue to take him towards his potential. He is a phenomenal athlete who has an all-court game, and he has made a habit out of winning big matches. It has been fun to see his growth over the past few years. We certainly are looking forward to working with Oliver and thrilled that he has made this commitment."
Quoting Oliver Crawford:
"I chose the University of Florida for three reasons: great coaches, a wonderful team, and the opportunity to excel. I am extremely excited to join a team with great tennis players, but more importantly, great guys."
Duarte Vale
Cascais, Portugal
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on Vale:
"We are very fortunate to have captured the attention of Duarte Vale in the recruiting process. Duarte was described by his coach and other players, including Andy Andrade, as a beast and someone who works hard every single day. After meeting Duarte and watching him play, we understood why he has that reputation. We are always looking to improve the competitive spirit we have in each class that we recruit. I believe this class addresses that completely and Duarte certainly embodies what a competitor looks like. Duarte is a player who has very few weaknesses and can hit all the shots. We look forward to helping Duarte become more explosive and dynamic in all phases of the game. Duarte is one of the best players in the world his age, and we couldn't be happier with his decision to join our program."
Quoting Duarte Vale:
"I'm very happy to officially be a part of the University of Florida Men's Tennis Team. It's a great honor and privilege to be a member of this family, led by Coach Shelton and Coach Stump, with the values of hard work and friendship very well established and recognized. That's why I can say very confidently that UF is the best place for me to develop as a person and as a tennis player."
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on the Class of 2017:
"In my opinion, this is the number one recruiting class in the country. Our coaching staff is thrilled to announce the signing of these three amazing individuals. Collectively we know they are going to do some very special things for the Gators. With their willingness to work hard and be unselfish, our program will continue to rise moving forward. The greatest thing about these three young men is that they all come from great families who have instilled great character into each one of them. Each of them were so impressed with what we had to offer academically, and loved the energy and vibe around campus. These three guys love the game of tennis and love to compete, which has been very evident. They appreciate the opportunity they have to get a degree from this great university, and to help lead our program during their time here."
Assistant Coach Tanner Stump on the Class of 2017:
"This was such a fun recruiting process with these three guys. I immensely enjoyed getting to know each one of them and their families which is always a great sign for what is to come in regards to their character and chemistry as a part of the Gator tennis program. Duarte, Oliver, and Andy will bring some of the highest level junior tennis talent to our campus as we pursue our goals of establishing ourselves as one of the top tennis programs in the nation year in and year out. They are completely bought into our philosophy here and with this classes' commitment, the sky is the limit for our future. We are extremely thankful for each of these individuals and their families for putting their faith in our coaching staff and program to develop them as both student athletes and young men. Go Gators!"
Gator Tennis in 2017:
The home schedule begins with back-to-back matches against Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State on January 21st at the Ring Tennis Complex. Both the men's and women's teams will then host the 2017 ITA Kick-off Weekend Jan. 28-29, with the men facing UNC Wilmington on Saturday.
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This new recruiting class brings in some of the most sought-after athletes in the nation. Andy Andrade, a Blue Chip recruit from Bradenton, Fla., brings five ITF doubles titles (alongside fellow commit Duarte Vale) and a 20-5 ITF doubles record in 2016 to UF. Oliver Crawford is also a Blue Chip recruit, ranking top five in his class on TennisRecruiting.net, with an ITF ranking of 41 and a recent runner up in the ITF Grade 1 Prince George's County International Hard Court Junior Championships. Duarte Vale comes to the Gators from Portugal, where he is ranked No. 42 in the ITF rankings, and won the doubles competition with fellow commit, Andy Andrade, at the ITF Grade 1 Copa Barranquilla.
Andy Andrade
Bradenton, Fla.
- Blue Chip recruit
- Ranked as high as 12 in his class for 2016 on Tennisrecruiting.net
- 20-5 ITF doubles record in 2016
- Career-high ITF ranking of #111
- Holds five ITF doubles title, including Grade 1 Prince George's County International Hard Court Junior Tennis Championships and Grade 1 Copa Barranquilla with fellow commit Duarte Vale
- Trains at IMG Academy
- Coached by Aurelio Andrade and Jorge Gonzalez
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on Andrade:
"We are very happy to sign Andy here at the University of Florida. Andy loves the Gators, and with his high character he will be a guy everyone on our team will enjoy. Andy values the education he will receive at Florida and is committed to working hard to achieve his academic goals. Andy has long been regarded as one of the best talents in his class. His talent coupled with his desire to be great will help him reach his goals while he is playing for the Gators and beyond. Andy is one of those rare prospects that will instantly be a dual threat in both singles and doubles. I believe Andy has amazing potential and will probably be the guy who exceeds expectations."
Quoting Andy Andrade:
"I feel so happy and excited to join the Gator Family. It is a dream come true for me to don the orange and blue and compete for UF. I can't wait to join the team and am so eager to begin working with the coaching staff to continue my development. Go Gators!"
Oliver Crawford
Spartanburg, S.C.
- ITF Ranking #41
- ATP Ranking #1640
- Blue Chip recruit
- Ranked first in South Carolina, second in the Southeast region and fifth nationally in his class on TennisRecruiting.net
- Second place singles finish in ITF Grade 1 Prince George's County International Hard Court Junior Tennis Championships
- Third place doubles finish in USTA National Hard Courts in 2015 and 2016
- Competed in three out of four Junior Grand Slams this year (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open)
- Coached by Sylvain Guichard and Kelly Jones
- Article
"University of Florida tennis certainly got better with this class, and Oliver Crawford is certainly a big part of that. Oliver has proven to be one of the best prospects in his class. Oliver is an excellent student who will represent the Gators with class. We have already established such a good relationship and Oliver has embraced the things that we value. Oliver's work ethic and competitive spirit will continue to take him towards his potential. He is a phenomenal athlete who has an all-court game, and he has made a habit out of winning big matches. It has been fun to see his growth over the past few years. We certainly are looking forward to working with Oliver and thrilled that he has made this commitment."
Quoting Oliver Crawford:
"I chose the University of Florida for three reasons: great coaches, a wonderful team, and the opportunity to excel. I am extremely excited to join a team with great tennis players, but more importantly, great guys."
Duarte Vale
Cascais, Portugal
- 42nd in ITF Ranking
- ATP Ranking #1250 (career high)
- Competed in three out of the four Junior Grand Slams this year (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open)
- Quarterfinalist at ITF Grade 1 USTA National Spring Championships
- Won doubles with fellow commit, Andy Andrade, at the ITF Grade 1 Copa Barranquilla
- Went 6-1 in the 2016 European Summer Cup as the No. 1 player for Portugal to lead them to the final rounds
- Advanced to the Semifinal round of the Portugal F3 Futures in March of 2015.
- Trains at IMG Academy
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on Vale:
"We are very fortunate to have captured the attention of Duarte Vale in the recruiting process. Duarte was described by his coach and other players, including Andy Andrade, as a beast and someone who works hard every single day. After meeting Duarte and watching him play, we understood why he has that reputation. We are always looking to improve the competitive spirit we have in each class that we recruit. I believe this class addresses that completely and Duarte certainly embodies what a competitor looks like. Duarte is a player who has very few weaknesses and can hit all the shots. We look forward to helping Duarte become more explosive and dynamic in all phases of the game. Duarte is one of the best players in the world his age, and we couldn't be happier with his decision to join our program."
Quoting Duarte Vale:
"I'm very happy to officially be a part of the University of Florida Men's Tennis Team. It's a great honor and privilege to be a member of this family, led by Coach Shelton and Coach Stump, with the values of hard work and friendship very well established and recognized. That's why I can say very confidently that UF is the best place for me to develop as a person and as a tennis player."
Head Coach Bryan Shelton on the Class of 2017:
"In my opinion, this is the number one recruiting class in the country. Our coaching staff is thrilled to announce the signing of these three amazing individuals. Collectively we know they are going to do some very special things for the Gators. With their willingness to work hard and be unselfish, our program will continue to rise moving forward. The greatest thing about these three young men is that they all come from great families who have instilled great character into each one of them. Each of them were so impressed with what we had to offer academically, and loved the energy and vibe around campus. These three guys love the game of tennis and love to compete, which has been very evident. They appreciate the opportunity they have to get a degree from this great university, and to help lead our program during their time here."
Assistant Coach Tanner Stump on the Class of 2017:
"This was such a fun recruiting process with these three guys. I immensely enjoyed getting to know each one of them and their families which is always a great sign for what is to come in regards to their character and chemistry as a part of the Gator tennis program. Duarte, Oliver, and Andy will bring some of the highest level junior tennis talent to our campus as we pursue our goals of establishing ourselves as one of the top tennis programs in the nation year in and year out. They are completely bought into our philosophy here and with this classes' commitment, the sky is the limit for our future. We are extremely thankful for each of these individuals and their families for putting their faith in our coaching staff and program to develop them as both student athletes and young men. Go Gators!"
Gator Tennis in 2017:
The home schedule begins with back-to-back matches against Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State on January 21st at the Ring Tennis Complex. Both the men's and women's teams will then host the 2017 ITA Kick-off Weekend Jan. 28-29, with the men facing UNC Wilmington on Saturday.
Follow the Gators
Join the conversation: Tweet #GoGators
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
FloridaGators.com
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