Florida Gators
Illinois
Men's Tennis Falls To Second-Ranked Illinois
Sunday, February 2, 2003 | Men's Tennis
For the first time this season, the fifth-ranked University of Florida men's tennis team suffered a setback as it fell to second-ranked Illinois Saturday night in Champaign, Ill., 7-0. With the loss, the Gators dropped to 3-1 on the season while the Illini improved to 3-0.
Florida's first road trip of the dual season marked only the second non-conference regular-season loss for the Gators during head coach Andy Jackson's era (Texas A&M, 4-3, Feb 22, 2002).
Florida's Chris McDonald and Hamid Mirzadeh gave the team of Amer Delic and Michael Calkins all it could handle at the top of the doubles line-up. The UF duo challenged the second-ranked combination in the country before eventually coming up short, 9-8 (5). Illinois completed the sweep of the doubles line-up as Brian Wilson and Rajeev Ram took an 8-3 decision over 13th-ranked Troy Hahn and Matt Behrmann. Meanwhile, Phil Stolt and Ryler DeHeart handed Eleazar Magallan and Olivier Levant their first loss of the dual season, 8-5, at the No. 3 position.
In the singles, the Illini won three of the matches in straight sets including the No. 3 position where sixth-ranked Phil Stolt clinched the victory with his 7-5, 7-5 defeat of Florida's Troy Hahn. Three Gators took their opponents into three sets. Mirzadeh and Delic carried their battle over to the top of the singles line up where Delic rallied from a one set deficit for the win (4-6, 6-3, 7-5 (2)). At the No. 2 spot, UF's Janne Holmia suffered the first dual match loss of his career as he took 20th-ranked Brian Wilson to three sets (7-5, 5-7, 6-4). Florida's 68th-ranked Olivier Levant squared off against Illinois' Rajeev Ram in the only other match to go to three. Levant took the first set 7-6, before dropping the final two 6-2, 6-3.
Florida returns to the courts on Friday, Feb. 7, as the Gators host 12th-ranked Texas A&M at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Fla. Matches are set to begin at 2 p.m.
NCAA Men's Tennis
Illinois 7, Florida 0
Doubles
No. 1 #2 Amer Delic/Michael Calkins (ILL) def. Chris McDonald/Hamid Mirzadeh, 9-8 (5)
No. 2 Brian Wilson/Rajeev Ram (ILL) def. #13 Troy Hahn/Matt Behrmann, 8-3
No. 3 Phil Stolt/Ryler DeHeart (ILL) def. #37 Eleazar Magallan/Olivier Levant, 8-5
Singles
No. 1 #2 Amer Delic (ILL) def. Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 (2)
No. 2 #20 Brian Wilson (ILL) def. #29 Janne Homia (UF) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4
No. 3 #6 Phil Stolt (ILL) def. Troy Hahn (UF) 7-5, 7-5 *
No. 4 Rajeev Ram (ILL) def. #68 Olivier Levant (UF), 6-7, 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 #42 Michael Calkins (ILL) def. #T78 Eleazar Magallan (UF) 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 #84 Ryler DeHeary (ILL) def. #116 Matt Behrmann (UF) 7-5, 6-1
* match-clinching victory
Numbers preceding names indicate current national rankings
