Florida Gators
Alabama
Women's Tennis Blanks No. 23 Alabama, 7-0
Sunday, March 27, 2005 | Women's Tennis
The 17th-ranked University of Florida women's tennis team overcame very windy conditions and a pesky Alabama squad to claim its seventh shut-out of the season, defeating the 23rd-ranked Crimson Tide 7-0 Sunday afternoon at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.
"The conditions (windy) were very difficult and I thought we did a real good job of dealing with those elements and keeping the ball in hand," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "We handled it a little better than Alabama and that was the difference. Individually, I thought Jennifer played a very tough, competitive player and she battled through and won. Overall, it was a good day for the Gators."
The Gators (10-2, 4-2 SEC) aim to continue their four-match win streak on Friday, April 1st when the team travels to Athens, Ga., to play the third-ranked Lady Bulldogs.
Long rallies and duces were the norm on all six singles courts, but Florida seemed to step up during the crucial points to improve to 30-0 all-time against Alabama (6-9, 1-5 SEC) and 122-1 all-time at home against SEC opponents.
The only late match suspense was on the showcase court, where Florida's 12th-ranked Jennifer Magley rallied to upset seventh-ranked Robin Stephenson 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (16-14) in a super-tiebreaker. Magley capitalized on her fifth match point after fending off two from Stephenson to earn her second victory over a top-10 opponent this season. It was the third meeting this year between the two and all three have gone three sets, with Magley taking the 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in the championship match of the Riviera All-American consolation event, before Stephenson earned a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 decision at the National Indoor Championships.
The Gator junior faced a quick 3-0 deficit in the super-tiebreak and then trailed 8-4 before staging her comeback, winning five straight points to take a 9-8 lead and serve for the match. However, Magley hit a forehand long and then double-faulted to give Stephenson the serve and match point. But Stephenson's forehand poach clipped the top of the net and her approach shot on the next point when wide and long, giving Magley her second match point. Magley was unable to capitalize and double-faulted before holding to take a 12-11 lead. Magley held another match point, before hitting a forehand cross court winner to take a 15-14 lead with the serve. This time, she came through, as Stephenson's backhand shot hit her racket rim and sailed wide.
Magley's first set featured five breaks in the first eight games and was on-serve entering the 10th when Stephenson broke Magley at love. Magley broke right back at love to begin the second, but Stephenson evened the set with a break of her own in the ensuing game. Magley then held for the rest of the set and earned breaks in the fifth and seventh games to force a super-tiebreak.
Junior Boglarka Berecz captured her third career double-bagel with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Andrea Brenes at the No. 6 position to give UF a 2-0 lead in the team scoring. Brenes had two game points in the 12th game of the match, but Berecz played tough and battled through for the win.
Freshman Alex Liles was the next Gator off the court, posting a 6-4, 6-3 win against Maria Muller at the No. 4 spot. The first set was on serve at 4-all with Muller serving, but Liles battled for the break and then served out at love for the first set. Muller regrouped and held to being the second set, but Liles took her next serve and held at love to take a 3-1 lead. Liles then earned her third break of the match, Muller broke back and held to inch closer as 4-3. But Liles won eight of the last nine points to net her third consecutive win.
Courts No. 2 and 5 were playing their respective final points of the match, and sophomore Nina Suvak finished just moments ahead of Zerene Reyes to provide the clinching dual match victory. Suvak topped Natalie McElveen 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 before Reyes defeated Ashley Bentley 6-2, 6-2.
Suvak and McElveen traded service breaks in the first five games of the second set, before Suvak held to take a 4-2 lead and then broke at love, eventually serving out for the win.
Reyes and Bentley battled through several long games, but Reyes never lost her serve and earned breaks in the fifth and seventh games of the first set and in the first and fifth games in the second to post the victory.
Whitney Benik then polished off Melissa Minor 6-4, 6-0 two minutes later on court No. 3. Benik opened the match with a break and rode that until the sixth game where Minor evened the score and then held at love to take a 4-3 lead. But Benik held and broke Minor at love before serving out at love for the first set. Benik then broke Minor in an extremely long opening game of the second set, and Minor seemed to lose her spirit as the Gator rookie won the final nine games of the match.
Women's College Tennis
No. 23 Alabama at No. 17 Florida
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Gainesville, Fla.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Final Score: Florida 7, Alabama 0
Doubles
No. 1 Jennifer Magley/Zerene Reyes (11), UF led Ashley Bentley/Robin Stephenson (28), UA 6-3, 40-0 did not finish
No. 2 Whitney Benik/Alex Liles, UF def. Natalie McElveen/Melissa Minor, UA 8-3
No. 3 Boglarka Berecz/Nina Suvak, UF def. Andrea Brenes/Maria Muller, UA 8-2*
Singles
No. 1 Jennifer Magley (12), UF def. Robin Stephenson (28), UA 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (16-14)
No. 2 Zerene Reyes (17), UF def. Ashley Bentley (58), UA 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Whitney Benik, UF def. Melissa Minor, UA 6-4, 6-0
No. 4 Alex Liles, UF def. Maria Muller, UA 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 Nina Suvak, UF def. Natalie McElveen, UA 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Boglarka Berecz (63), UF def. Andrea Brenes, UA 6-0, 6-0
Order of Finish: Doubles-2, 3; Singles-6, 4, 5, 2, 3, 1
*clinched doubles point/dual match
END OF REPORT
