Florida Gators
Mississippi
Women's Tennis Wins SEC Opener, 6-1 at Ole Miss
Saturday, March 2, 2002 | Women's Tennis
The fifth-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team emerged with a hard-fought 6-1 victory over Ole Miss (6-2, 0-1 SEC) Friday afternoon at the Gillom Sports Center in the Southeastern Conference opener for both squads.
The Gators (4-0, 1-0) captured the doubles point with a thrilling 9-8 (4) pro-set win at the No. 3 position played by sophomore Annika Bengtsson and freshman Zerene Reyes. Their Lady Rebel opponents, Camilla Gould and Mira Radu, raced out to a 6-3 lead over but the Gator duo wouldn't go away forcing a tiebreaker, which they won to clinch the point. UF's No. 1 pair of Lindsay Dawaf and Jessica Lehnhoff defeated Alesya Ignatieva and Audra Adams 8-6.
In singles action, Florida jumped out quickly, winning the first set on four of the courts. Lehnhoff, ranked No. 2 in the nation, topped Radu 6-4, 6-1 at the top spot to give the Gators a 2-0 lead in the team scoring. That was the only convincing win, as competition heated up on the other courts as Ole Miss took the second set at the No. 2, 3 and 5 spots.
Dawaf regrouped at the No. 2 position and closed out the win over Ignatieva with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 decision. Reyes followed with a 6-1, 0-6, 6-2 victory over Karem Harboe at the No. 3 spot to clinch the dual match for the Gators. Freshman Alexis Gordon then polished off Sabrina Peppl 6-0, 7-6 (2) at No. 4, before Bengtsson outlasted Florencia Basile 2-6, 6-3, 10-6 at the No. 5 position.
Ole Miss' only singles win came at No. 6, where Julia Scaringe retired at 3-1 in the first set with a shoulder injury, giving Audra Adams the win.
Florida continues its SEC schedule on Sunday, when the Gators play Mississippi State in Starkville beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
NCAA Women's Tennis
Oxford, Miss.
March 1, 2002
Final Score: #5 Florida 6, #39 Ole Miss 1
SINGLES
#1 Jessica Lehnhoff (UF) def. Mira Radu (OM) 6-4, 6-1
#2 Lindsay Dawaf (UF) def. Alesya Ignatieva (OM) 6-2, 3-6, 6-0
#3 Zerene Reyes (UF) def. Karem Harboe (OM) 6-1, 0-6, 6-2
#4 Alexis Gordon (UF) def. Sabrina Peppl (OM) 6-0, 7-6(2)
#5 Annika Bengtsson (UF) def. Florencia Basile (OM) 2-6, 6-3, 10-6
#6 Audra Adams (OM) def. Julie Scaringe (UF) 3-1, ret.
DOUBLES
#1 Lehnhoff-Dawaf (UF) def. Ignatieva-Adams (OM) 8-6
#2 Harboe-Basile (OM) def. Gordon-Scaringe (UF) 8-5
#3 Bengtsson-Reyes (UF) def. Radu-Gould (OM) 9-8(4)
END OF REPORT
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
