Florida Gators
Miami
Men's Tennis Takes Down Miami, 6-1
Friday, February 14, 2003 | Men's Tennis
The University of Florida men's tennis (No. 6) team kept its record against in state teams perfect this season as it defeated 34th-ranked Miami 6-1. The win improved the Gators record to 6-1, while the Hurricanes suffered their first loss of the season in dropping to 3-1.
"Miami is down one guy right now and they will be a different team at the end of the season," said UF head coach Andy Jackson. "I thought our doubles were much better today. I was pleased to see Hamid (Mirzadeh) win in singles. He has come close before and was finally able to break through on the level I know he can play at. Todd Widom (ranked ninth in the latest ITA poll) is in a small group of favorites in my mind to win the NCAA singles championship. I told Hamid after the first set he didn't need to change anything he was doing. A few little things cost him the first set, but it was nothing technical."
In the only singles match of the day to go to three sets, Mirzadeh and Miami's and Widom battled to a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 Mirzadeh win. Mirzadeh faced defeat with the score standing at 40-30 and Widom up five games to four in the third set before working his way back into the match. With the win, Mirzadeh snapped a three match losing skid at the No. 1 singles position.
The Gators won each of the three doubles matches for the third time this season to take the doubles point for the sixth time on the year. Senior Chris McDonald and sophomore Hamid Mirzadeh needed just 45 minutes to overtake Miami's Andrew Golub and Colin Purcell on court one, 8-3. Twenty-minutes later and the Gators led the match 1-0 when 13th-ranked senior Troy Hahn and classmate Matt Behrmann defeated Miami's Todd Widom and Eric Hetchman, 8-5.
The momentum carried over to the singles matches with UF pushing the lead to 5-0 before the Hurricanes won a match. Senior Olivier Levant continued to work fast needing just two sets for a 6-0, 6-2 win over Eric Hetchman. In all, one of the seven matches Levant has competed in this season have reached a third set. Behrmann, ranked 117th, clinched the match for the Gators with his 6-1, 6-2 victory against Colin Purcell at the No. 5 position. UF ended up winning matches on courts two through five with 29th-ranked Janne Holmia and Troy Hahn building on to the UF lead. On court two, Holmia downed Andrew Golub (6-1, 6-2), while Hahn moved his dual match record to 6-1 with a win over Luis Manrique (6-4, 6-3). Behrmann, Holmia and Levant join Hahn with team best 6-1 singles records in dual matches this season.
The Gator win completed UF's sweep of the state of Florida this season. UF had already defeated Central Florida, South Florida and Florida State prior to today's match. During the Jackson era in Gainesville, the Gators have never lost a match to an in state opponent as they own an 8-0 record against Sunshine state opponents.
Florida remains at home for its next match against Rice. The Sunday meeting will be held at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, and is set to begin at 1 p.m. Rice is ranked 35th in the latest edition of the ITA poll.
NCAA Men's Tennis
Florida 6, Miami 1
Doubles
No. 1 Hamid Mirzadeh/Chris McDonald (UF) def. Andrew Golub/Colin Purcell (UM), 8-3
No. 2 #37 Olivier Levant/Eleazar Magallan (UF) def. John Hoyes/Luis Manrique (UM), 8-5
No. 3 #13 Matt Behrmann/Troy Hahn (UF) def. Todd Widom/Eric Hetchman (UM), 8-5
Singles
No. 1 Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) def. #9 Todd Widom (UM) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 #29 Janne Holmia (UF) def. Andrew Golub (UM), 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 Troy Hahn (UF) def. Luis Manrique (UM), 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 #68 Olivier Levant (UF) def. Eric Hechtman (UM), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 #116 Matt Behrmann (UF) def. Colin Purcell (UM), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 John Hoyes (UM) def. #T78 Eleazar Magallan (UF), 7-6 (5), 6-2
Numbers preceding names indicate current national rankings
