Friday, March 17
Gainesville, FL
1:00 PM
Florida Gators
5
vs
2
South Carolina
Fourth-Ranked Gator Men's Tennis Improves Home Winning Streak to Eight
Friday, March 17, 2000 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The fourth-ranked Gator men's tennis team defeated South Carolina at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex Friday afternoon by a score of 5-2 to improve to 11-2 on the year (3-0 SEC), and run its home record to 6-0 in 2000 with the win. South Carolina fell to 4-5 (0-3 SEC) with the loss, its fourth straight loss of the season.
Florida made easy work of the Gamecocks for the doubles point, winning numbers one and two in just over 45 minutes. Any sense of ease in the match disappeared quickly, though, in the singles competition.
"I told them after doubles that I didn't like the way the whole thing was unfolding," Head Coach Ian Duvenhage said. "It looked sort of like an ambush. They played uninspired doubles at (numbers) one and two and we won it so easily. I got the feeling they conceded the doubles point and started playing singles."
While Jeff Morrison and Justin O'Neal jumped out of the gate at number one and number two singles, the rest of the squad stumbled from the start. Junior Nathan Overholser fell behind 4-2 in his first set against Juan Gamboa before rallying for a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 win. Olivier Levant dropped the first set 6-1 and was behind 3-1 in the second set before taking control and running off a 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.
O'Neal, ranked 12th in the WingspanBank.com collegiate rankings, improved to 10-1 in dual play in 2000 with a match he was never tested in, besting Robert Steckley (ranked 58th) 6-1, 6-1 in 48 minutes to put Florida's second team point on the board. With the win, O'Neal pulled even with current Assistant Coach and former Florida All-American Damon Henkel on the career overall win chart at Florida with 102 victories.
"From what I've seen in the last few weeks," Duvenhage said. "Justin may be the best player in college tennis at this point in time. In the last four or five matches he has been just phenomonal."
But the match tightened up considerably following his win. Freshman Matt Behrmann fell to USC's Seth Rose 6-3, 6-0 to make the score 2-1. Morrison, ranked seventh collegiately, finished off the Gamecocks' Guillaume Legat (t-40th) 6-2, 6-4 to give the Gators a 3-1 lead that would diminish to 3-2 when freshman Troy Hahn fell at number six to Olof Akesson 6-4, 6-3. Overhosler's victory at number three would prove to be the decisive one, as storming back from a break in the first set to claim a victory in the tie-break before cruising 6-1 in the second set.
Florida is next in action on Sunday at noon in a major Southeastern Conference battle with eighth-ranked Mississippi at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
March 17, 2000
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex - Gainesville, Fla.
Final Score: No. 4 Florida (11-2, SEC 6-0) 5, South Carolina (4-5; SEC 0-3) 2
Doubles
No. 1 - Morrison/Overholser, UF d. Legat/Steckley, USC 8-1
No. 2 - O'Neal/Levant, UF d. Akesson/Pichler, USC 8-3*
No. 3 - Behrmann/Adcock, UF d. Gamboa/Nelson, USC did not complete
Singles
No. 1 Jeff Morrison, UF d. Guillaume Legat, USC 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Justin O'Neal, UF d. Robert Steckley, USC 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 Nathan Overholser, UF d. Juan Gamboa, USC 7-6 (4), 6-1
No. 4 Olivier Levant, UF d. Marc Pichler, USC 1-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 Seth Rose, USC d. Matt Behrmann, UF 6-3, 6-0
No. 6 Olof Akesson, USC d. Troy Hahn, UF 6-4, 6-3
Florida made easy work of the Gamecocks for the doubles point, winning numbers one and two in just over 45 minutes. Any sense of ease in the match disappeared quickly, though, in the singles competition.
"I told them after doubles that I didn't like the way the whole thing was unfolding," Head Coach Ian Duvenhage said. "It looked sort of like an ambush. They played uninspired doubles at (numbers) one and two and we won it so easily. I got the feeling they conceded the doubles point and started playing singles."
While Jeff Morrison and Justin O'Neal jumped out of the gate at number one and number two singles, the rest of the squad stumbled from the start. Junior Nathan Overholser fell behind 4-2 in his first set against Juan Gamboa before rallying for a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 win. Olivier Levant dropped the first set 6-1 and was behind 3-1 in the second set before taking control and running off a 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.
O'Neal, ranked 12th in the WingspanBank.com collegiate rankings, improved to 10-1 in dual play in 2000 with a match he was never tested in, besting Robert Steckley (ranked 58th) 6-1, 6-1 in 48 minutes to put Florida's second team point on the board. With the win, O'Neal pulled even with current Assistant Coach and former Florida All-American Damon Henkel on the career overall win chart at Florida with 102 victories.
"From what I've seen in the last few weeks," Duvenhage said. "Justin may be the best player in college tennis at this point in time. In the last four or five matches he has been just phenomonal."
But the match tightened up considerably following his win. Freshman Matt Behrmann fell to USC's Seth Rose 6-3, 6-0 to make the score 2-1. Morrison, ranked seventh collegiately, finished off the Gamecocks' Guillaume Legat (t-40th) 6-2, 6-4 to give the Gators a 3-1 lead that would diminish to 3-2 when freshman Troy Hahn fell at number six to Olof Akesson 6-4, 6-3. Overhosler's victory at number three would prove to be the decisive one, as storming back from a break in the first set to claim a victory in the tie-break before cruising 6-1 in the second set.
Florida is next in action on Sunday at noon in a major Southeastern Conference battle with eighth-ranked Mississippi at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
March 17, 2000
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex - Gainesville, Fla.
Final Score: No. 4 Florida (11-2, SEC 6-0) 5, South Carolina (4-5; SEC 0-3) 2
Doubles
No. 1 - Morrison/Overholser, UF d. Legat/Steckley, USC 8-1
No. 2 - O'Neal/Levant, UF d. Akesson/Pichler, USC 8-3*
No. 3 - Behrmann/Adcock, UF d. Gamboa/Nelson, USC did not complete
Singles
No. 1 Jeff Morrison, UF d. Guillaume Legat, USC 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Justin O'Neal, UF d. Robert Steckley, USC 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 Nathan Overholser, UF d. Juan Gamboa, USC 7-6 (4), 6-1
No. 4 Olivier Levant, UF d. Marc Pichler, USC 1-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 Seth Rose, USC d. Matt Behrmann, UF 6-3, 6-0
No. 6 Olof Akesson, USC d. Troy Hahn, UF 6-4, 6-3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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