The second-ranked University of Florida men's tennis team kept plenty of distance between itself and the rest of the Southeastern Conference with a 5-2 win over No. 29 Auburn on Sunday at the Luther Young Tennis Complex.
The win improved Florida to 17-3 on the season and moved Florida to 8-0 in the conference. With three matches left on its league schedule, the Gators are in striking distance of bring home its first conference title since 2000 and the seventh in the history of the program.
In doubles action, the Gators defeated the Tigers on courts two and three to secure the point for the seventeenth time this season. UF's 38th-ranked duo of Olivier Levant and Eleazar Magallan defeated Tom George and Markus Schiller, 8-2. At the No. 3 position, Florida's Matt Behrmann and Troy Hahn, ranked 22nd, defeated Gabor Zoltan Pelva and Rodrigo Minozzo, 8-4.
The top and bottom of the Florida singles line-up came away with victories as the Gators won on court one, two, five and six. At No. 1, UF's Hamid Mirzadeh, who has moved his way up to 28th in the latest ITA rankings, picked off 17th-ranked Rameez Junaid (6-4, 3-6, 6-1). On court two, Florida's fifth-ranked Janne Holmia defeated Andy Colombo (6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-1). Eleazar Magallan took down Tom George in straight sets on court five by a score of 6-2, 6-1. Matt Behrmann completed the Florida scoring after dropping the first set against Andre Boz (2-6, 6-3, 6-3)
Florida will be back on the courts on Friday, April 4, as it hosts Tennessee at 2 p.m. The weekend will bring UF's regular season home schedule to a close with a Sunday, April 6, contest against Georgia at 1 p.m.
#2 Florida 5, #29 Auburn 2
Singles
1. #28 Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) def. #17 Rameez Junaid (AU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
2. #5 Janne Holmia (UF) def. Andy Colombo (AU) 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-1
3. Gabor Zoltan Pelva (AU) def. Troy Hahn (UF) 6-4, 6-4
4. Rodrigo Minozzo (AU) def. #107 Olivier Levant (UF) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Eleazar Magallan (UF) def. Tom George (AU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Matt Behrmann (UF) def. Andre Boz (AU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. Junaid/Colombo (AU) def. #12 McDonald/Mirzadeh (UF) 8-4
2. #38 Levant/Magallan (UF) def. George/Schiller (AU) 8-2
3. #22 Behrmann/Hahn (UF) def. Pelva/Minozzo (AU) 8-4
Florida wins the doubles point.
