Saturday, April 22
Starkville, MS
11:00 AM
Florida Gators
4
vs
3
Mississippi at SEC Tournament
GATOR MEN'S TENNIS ADVANCES TO SEC TOURNAMENT FINAL WITH 4-3 WIN OVER OLE MISS
Saturday, April 22, 2000 | Men's Tennis
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The third-ranked University of Florida men's tennis team (23-3) advanced to the finals of the 2000 SEC Tournament with a 4-3 victory over third seed and 14th-ranked Mississippi (18-5) Saturday at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
The Gators, the second seed, will meet the winner of the Georgia-Tennessee match on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET). Florida has appeared in the final on one other occasion, having claimed the tournament title in 1994. Saturday's win was Florida's third in as many tries against Ole Miss this season, with the Gators also beating the Rebels at the National Team Indoors in February and during the regular season in Gainesville.
Junior Jeff Morrison, who is ranked fourth in the nation in singles, rallied from one set down for the second straight day to clinch the win. Morrison came back to beat 35th-ranked Alexander Hartman, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-0 and improve to 7-0 in three-set matches this season. Morrison, who won his ninth consecutive match, also upped his record to 6-0 when losing the first set, but winning the second.
"We were down in both singles and doubles, but like yesterday, we found a way to come back and win," said Gator head coach Ian Duvenhage. "It was a really gutsy effort by our team."
The Gators grabbed a 1-0 lead after doubles play with victories at number one and number three. UF's sixth-ranked team of Morrison and fellow junior Nathan Overholser knocked off Ole Miss' 27th-ranked duo of Vikrant Chada and James Shortall 9-7 at number one for their 16th consecutive win. With the match tied at 7-7, Morrison and Overholser broke Ole Miss' serve and then held serve for the win. Sophomore Olivier Levant and senior Justin O'Neal lost 8-6 at number two, but junior Marcos Asse and senior Dylan Mann clinched the point with an 8-5 victory at number three over Alexander Hartman and Anders Stenman. Asse and Mann won the final three games of the match to improve to 9-2 in dual play.
Ole Miss rebounded to take the first set in four of the six matches and then took a 2-1 lead with victories at number four and number six singles. Levant lost to Kristofer Stahlberg at number four and freshman Troy Hahn fell to 81st-ranked Stenman at number six. But the Gators came back to take a 3-2 lead with wins at number two and number five singles. O'Neal, who is ranked ninth nationally, became Florida's all-time leader in singles victories with his 113th win, a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over 59th-ranked Shortall. O'Neal came back from a 3-0 deficit in the second set to tie the score at 4-4, and then broke Shortall's serve before holding serve to set the record. O'Neal passed former Gator Mark Merklein, who won 112 singles matches from 1991-94, and now holds Florida's career records for singles, doubles and overall victories.
"It did not look good for awhile, but we just battled and were the tougher team today," said O'Neal. "I felt like I could probably break him and I knew I was close to getting back in the match."
Mann won his fourth straight and 11th in his last 12 matches with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over Martin Selin at number five. Mann won the pivotal first-set tiebreaker and then came back from a break down in the second to win five of the final six games of the match. Ole Miss evened the score at 3-3 as Chada held off Overholser, 6-4, 6-4, but Morrison closed out the match moments later.
"He (Hartman) came out firing, but I just hung in there and started hitting it better," said Morrison. "I was able to keep it close. This is a tough team here and no one ever gives up."
No. 3 FLORIDA (23-3) 4
No. 14 Mississippi (18-5) 3
SEC Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, April 22, 2000
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, Starkville, Miss.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Jeff Morrison-Nathan Overholser (UF) d. Vikrant Chada-James Shortall (UM) 9-7
No. 2 – Martin Selin-Kristofer Stahlberg (UM) d. Olivier Levant-Justin O'Neal (UF) 8-6
No. 3 – Marcos Asse-Dylan Mann (UF) d. Alexander Hartman-Anders Stenman (UM) 8-5
SINGLES
No. 1 – Jeff Morrison (UF) d. Alexander Hartman (UM) 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 – Justin O'Neal (UF) d. James Shortall (UM) 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 – Vikrant Chada (UM) d. Nathan Overholser (UF) 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 – Kristofer Stahlberg (UM) d. Olivier Levant (UF) 6-2, 3-4, retired
No. 5 – Dylan Mann (UF) d. Martin Selin (UM) 7-6 (4), 6-3
No. 6 – Anders Stenman (UM) d. Troy Hahn (UF) 6-4, 6-3
The Gators, the second seed, will meet the winner of the Georgia-Tennessee match on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT (2:00 p.m. ET). Florida has appeared in the final on one other occasion, having claimed the tournament title in 1994. Saturday's win was Florida's third in as many tries against Ole Miss this season, with the Gators also beating the Rebels at the National Team Indoors in February and during the regular season in Gainesville.
Junior Jeff Morrison, who is ranked fourth in the nation in singles, rallied from one set down for the second straight day to clinch the win. Morrison came back to beat 35th-ranked Alexander Hartman, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-0 and improve to 7-0 in three-set matches this season. Morrison, who won his ninth consecutive match, also upped his record to 6-0 when losing the first set, but winning the second.
"We were down in both singles and doubles, but like yesterday, we found a way to come back and win," said Gator head coach Ian Duvenhage. "It was a really gutsy effort by our team."
The Gators grabbed a 1-0 lead after doubles play with victories at number one and number three. UF's sixth-ranked team of Morrison and fellow junior Nathan Overholser knocked off Ole Miss' 27th-ranked duo of Vikrant Chada and James Shortall 9-7 at number one for their 16th consecutive win. With the match tied at 7-7, Morrison and Overholser broke Ole Miss' serve and then held serve for the win. Sophomore Olivier Levant and senior Justin O'Neal lost 8-6 at number two, but junior Marcos Asse and senior Dylan Mann clinched the point with an 8-5 victory at number three over Alexander Hartman and Anders Stenman. Asse and Mann won the final three games of the match to improve to 9-2 in dual play.
Ole Miss rebounded to take the first set in four of the six matches and then took a 2-1 lead with victories at number four and number six singles. Levant lost to Kristofer Stahlberg at number four and freshman Troy Hahn fell to 81st-ranked Stenman at number six. But the Gators came back to take a 3-2 lead with wins at number two and number five singles. O'Neal, who is ranked ninth nationally, became Florida's all-time leader in singles victories with his 113th win, a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over 59th-ranked Shortall. O'Neal came back from a 3-0 deficit in the second set to tie the score at 4-4, and then broke Shortall's serve before holding serve to set the record. O'Neal passed former Gator Mark Merklein, who won 112 singles matches from 1991-94, and now holds Florida's career records for singles, doubles and overall victories.
"It did not look good for awhile, but we just battled and were the tougher team today," said O'Neal. "I felt like I could probably break him and I knew I was close to getting back in the match."
Mann won his fourth straight and 11th in his last 12 matches with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win over Martin Selin at number five. Mann won the pivotal first-set tiebreaker and then came back from a break down in the second to win five of the final six games of the match. Ole Miss evened the score at 3-3 as Chada held off Overholser, 6-4, 6-4, but Morrison closed out the match moments later.
"He (Hartman) came out firing, but I just hung in there and started hitting it better," said Morrison. "I was able to keep it close. This is a tough team here and no one ever gives up."
No. 3 FLORIDA (23-3) 4
No. 14 Mississippi (18-5) 3
SEC Tournament Semifinals
Saturday, April 22, 2000
A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, Starkville, Miss.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Jeff Morrison-Nathan Overholser (UF) d. Vikrant Chada-James Shortall (UM) 9-7
No. 2 – Martin Selin-Kristofer Stahlberg (UM) d. Olivier Levant-Justin O'Neal (UF) 8-6
No. 3 – Marcos Asse-Dylan Mann (UF) d. Alexander Hartman-Anders Stenman (UM) 8-5
SINGLES
No. 1 – Jeff Morrison (UF) d. Alexander Hartman (UM) 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 – Justin O'Neal (UF) d. James Shortall (UM) 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 – Vikrant Chada (UM) d. Nathan Overholser (UF) 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 – Kristofer Stahlberg (UM) d. Olivier Levant (UF) 6-2, 3-4, retired
No. 5 – Dylan Mann (UF) d. Martin Selin (UM) 7-6 (4), 6-3
No. 6 – Anders Stenman (UM) 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
/ Men's Tennis
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