Florida Gators
Georgia State (NCAA 1st Round)
Men's Tennis Shuts Out Georgia St. in NCAA Opener
Saturday, May 11, 2002 | Men's Tennis
Florida advances to face South Florida on Sunday, May 12 at noon in the second round of the NCAA Championships with the winner advancing to College Station, Texas to play in the NCAA Round of 16 on May 18 at Texas A&M. The Gators and Bulls previously played on Feb. 3 with Florida winning by a 4-3 score on the Bulls' home courts in Tampa.
"This was a very nice win," Florida head coach Andy Jackson said. "The Georgia State team was very impressive, even more-so than the first time we played them (a 4-3 UF win on March 25). They are very much a team that has flown under the radar this season, but having played them once, we were prepared. Had we not have played them before, there would have been a different outcome here today. South Florida is a similar team but has gotten more attention this year. It will similarly be a battle with them like it was with Georgia State today."
"Florida was stronger than last time we played them but so were we," Georgia State head coach Sten Van Beurden said. "We knew it would be a good fight and it turned out to be. They just played really well and beat us. I'm very proud of our effort. We've been preparing all year for this and we've met our goals and I'm very proud of my team."
A gritty effort by the Gators gave them the doubles point to open the match. UF cruised at No. 3 where Matt Behrmann and Troy Hahn took a 5-0 lead before finishing with a 8-1 win that took just 37 minutes to complete. GSU stormed out of the gates at the top two doubles spots, taking a 3-0 lead at No. 1 and a 4-1 lead at No. 2 but the Gators turned the tables. Olivier Levant and Eleazar Magallan rallied for a doubles point-clinching 8-6 win at No. 2 with Levant making a deft back-handed cross-court shot on match point. Meanwhile, UF led 7-5 at No. 1 when play was suspended after facing the early deficit.
Although most singles matches were tight, the first three went to Florida to seal the 4-0 win. Hamid Mirzadeh won his match at No. 1 singles by a 6- 1, 6-3 final tally, capping the only lopsided singles contest of the day with a serve and volley winner. Troy Hahn gave UF a 3-0 edge with his win at No. 4. Tied 4-4 in the second set, Hahn broke serve on four straight points and held his own service for a 6-4, 6-4 win over Albano Franco. Magallan secured the Gator win at No. 2 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Luka Bernard. Magallan was down a break at 2-4 in the first set but rallied to take it 6-4. In the second set, Magallan again trailed 2-4 but broke serve twice, posting his 6-4, 6-4 final on a service winner that Bernard returned into the net.
The three suspended matches were all close. Ross Greenstein and Nicolas Lupica were tied 2-2 in the third set at No. 6 singles while Levant held a slim 3-6, 6-4, 3-2 lead over Pablo Perez Gras at No. 3. The match at No. 5 had Miha Lisac leading Behrmann 7-5, 4-3 and on serve for the win.
NCAA Men's Tennis First Round
May 11, 2002 * Gainesville, Fla.
Florida 4, Georgia State 0
Doubles
1) #21 Chris McDonald/Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) v. Pablo Perez Gras/Luke Bernard (GSU), 7-5 Susp.
2) Olivier Levant/Eleazar Magallan (UF) d. Matias Ormaza/Miha Lisac (GSU), 8-6*
3) Matt Behrmann/Troy Hahn (UF) d. Albano Franco/Nicolas Lupica (GSU), 8-1
Singles
1) #100 Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) d. Matias Ormaza (GSU), 6-1, 6-3
2) #95 Eleazar Magallan (UF) d. Luka Bernard (GSU), 6-4, 6-4
3) Olivier Levant (UF) v. Pablo Perez Gras (GSU), 3-6, 6-4, 3-2 Susp.
4) Troy Hahn (UF) d. Albano Franco (GSU), 6-4, 6-4
5) Matt Behrmann (UF) v. Miha Lisac (GSU), 5-7, 4-3 Susp.
6) Ross Greenstein (UF) v. Nicola Lupica (GSU), 6-7 (7), 6-0, 2-2 Susp.
