Florida Gators
#13 Tennessee - SEC Tournament Final
Women's Tennis Wins SEC Tournament Title
Sunday, April 25, 2010 | Women's Tennis
The University of Florida women's tennis team lived up to its top-seed and defeated third-seeded and No. 13 Tennessee, 4-1, in the championship match of the Southeastern Conference Tournament Sunday afternoon at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
The SEC Tournament title was Florida's 16th in the 23 years the league has held a postseason event, however, it was the Gators' first tournament crown since 2006.
“It never gets old,” said UF head coach Roland Thornqvist, who guided the Gators to their sixth conference postseason crown in his nine years. “You can't wish your way to a championship. We knew we had to play at a very high level and be ready to play. We were challenged to the brink today, just like we were in the regular season against Tennessee. We were the favorite today and sometimes that helps you and sometimes it doesn't. Tennessee played and competed at a very high level and we had to step up. I'm very proud of our performance. It wasn't pretty at times, but it shows how mentally tough we are.”
The SEC Tournament title also marked the first for seniors Marrit Boonstra (The Netherlands) and Anastasia Revzina (Moscow, Russia).
“It's amazing,” Boonstra shared. “We all had a feeling that we could win it and we did it. It's amazing.”
Boonstra was named the Most Valuable Player after winning all three singles matches during Florida's three-match run, while collecting one doubles victory.
“I didn't expect it,” shared Boonstra of the individual honor. “I think I played very well this tournament. I was focused and ready to play this week.”
Boonstra provided Florida (24-2) a 2-1 lead after the Gators won the doubles point and UT collected a singles win on court No. 4. The Gator senior needed just 30 minutes to take the first set against Rosalia Alda, 6-2. She jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second, when Alda battled back and got the match on-serve at 4-all. It stayed that way until the 12th game, when Boonstra earned her sixth break to capture the 6-2, 7-5 win.
“It wasn't that my level of play went down, her level really rose in that second set,” Boonstra said of her match, which was her 14th consecutive singles victory.
Freshman Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) joined Boonstra on the SEC All-Tournament Team, as she also won three singles matches and a doubles contest during the championship march. Will won her 23rd consecutive match on Sunday, defeating Maria Sorbello, 7-5, 6-2, that gave Florida a 3-1 lead.
“It's like nothing I've ever experienced,” Will shared on UF winning the tournament title. “We stuck together and played well today. We really played like a team. Every single person on this team got us to where we are today and we couldn't have done it without everyone's help. Tennessee is a very high energy team and that motivated us. It was great that Marrit was named the MVP because she deserves it more than anyone.”
Fellow freshman Caroline Hitimana (Waterloo, Belgium) provided the championship clinching heroics, as she battled for a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory in two hours and 12 minutes over Kata Szekely at the No. 6 position. The Gator rookie looked like she might cruise to a quick victory taking the first set in 37 minutes, but Szekely battled back and took a commanding 5-0 lead in the second. Hitimana regrouped and won three straight games, but Szekely was able to hold and force a third and final set. That's where Hitimana dug deep and ripped out a 5-0 lead. Szekely staved off the outcome by breaking in the seventh game, but Hitimana held on her next trip to the baseline, jumping out to triple match-point and closed out the championship.
“My match was up and down. I had a good first set and she played an amazing second set. In the third set, I told myself to give everything I had for 30 minutes,” Hitimana shared. “Joanna (Mather) was playing on the court next to me and she kept encouraging me. I looked at the scoreboard (showing all six singles scores), I knew we needed one more point (singles win) and I had to give everything I had. Dave came up to me and told me to give everything. It was my first SEC Tournament and I wanted to clinch for Florida because I knew we could do it.”
Will helped set up the clinching victory, as she battled past Maria Sorbello, 7-5, 6-2, on court No. 2. Sorbello took the early 2-0 lead to start the match, before the Gator rookie got the set back on-serve with a break and held. It didn't last long, however, as Sorbello broke again for a 4-2 lead. Will equaled with one of her own and the two traded breaks again, with Will capturing another in the 11th game before serving out for the set. The second set was on-serve through four games, before Will earned the break en route to winning the final four games and the match.
“Maria (Sorbello) is really good. I had a battle against her when we played them earlier in the year and she doesn't miss,” Will said. “I have to earn every single point and today it was really hard to do that, especially in the first set. It was really hard and she made me work for every point. I had to get out of my comfort zone to get the 'W' today. When I broke her to go up 3-2, I relaxed a bit after that.”
Freshman star Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) had the upper hand on the showcase court, where she was leading ninth-ranked Caitlin Whoriskey, 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 when play was halted. Embree was part of the first win of the day, however, as she and Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) captured their doubles match and helped the Gators capture the initial team point.
“It feels amazing. It's a great accomplishment for us to have won the title,” Embree said of Florida's SEC Tournament championship.”
As part of the Gator momentum, Mather somehow forced a third set against Katie Lee, as she lost a tough first set, 6-4 and rallied from a 3-0 deficit.
The doubles was a closely point, as Tennessee (16-8) jumped out with early breaks on courts No. 1 and 3.
Florida's Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) and Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) held the advantage at the No. 2 spot, taking a 3-0 lead before Zsofia Zubor held to get the 24th-ranked Lady Vol duo on the board. The Gator pair held that one-break advantage through seven games, until breaking Zubor again for a 6-2 lead. UT broke Embree, but the 69th-ranked Gator tandem came right back against Rosalia Alda for a 7-3 lead and Mather served out for the 8-3 victory and gave Florida its first doubles win 41 minutes into the dual match.
“We got off to a really good start,” Embree said. “We had the momentum and wanted to stay focused and get the win so we could cheer on the other courts because they were close matches.”
On court No. 3, Caroline Hitimana (Waterloo, Belgium) and Anastasia Revzina (Moscow, Russia) found themselves down 2-0 against Natalie Pluskota and Jennifer Meredith, before Revzina held at love to get the Gators on the board. The UF pair then broke Meredith and Hitimana held to get the match back on-serve. The Gators weren't done there, though, as they broke Pluskota and Revzina held for a 5-2 lead. That's all Florida would need, as the final seven games were held and Hitimana closed out the 8-5 victory that gave the Gators the doubles point in 49 minutes.
The battle on court No. 1 was getting exciting when play was halted. UF's Marrit Boonstra (The Netherlands) and Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) trailed 5-1, before winning three straight games to close within a break at 5-4. The next games were held and later abandoned with UT holding a 6-5 lead with the serve.
Florida next awaits word about its placement in the NCAA Championships, which returns to Athens, Ga., May 20-31. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for May 4 and will be televised on ESPNews. During that telecast, the entire 64-team field will be revealed, as will the 16 campus sites selected to host first and second round regionals, May 14-15. The winner of each of those second round matches advances to Athens for the remainder of the Championships.
SEC Women's Tennis Tournament Final
No. 3 Seed/No. 13 Ranked Tennessee vs. No. 1 Seed/No. 3 Ranked Florida
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
Athens, Ga.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Final Score: Florida 4, Tennessee 1
Doubles
1. #11 Caitlin Whoriskey/Maria Sorbello (UT) led #4 Marrit Boonstra/Allie Will (UF), 6-5 DNF
2. #69 Lauren Embree/Joanna Mather (UF) d. #24 Rosalia Alda/Zsofia Zubor (UT), 8-3
3. Caroline Hitimana/Anastasia Revzina (UF) d. Natalie Pluskota/Katie Lee (UT), 8-5*
Singles
1. #11 Lauren Embree (UF) led #9 Caitlin Whoriskey (UT), 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 DNF
2. #7 Allie Will (UF) d. #58 Maria Sorbello (UT), 7-5, 6-2
3. #75 Marrit Boonstra (UF) d. Rosalia Alda (UT), 6-2, 7-5
4. Zsofia Zubor (UT) d. #119 Anastasia Revzina (UF), 6-4, 6-3
5. Joanna Mather (UF) vs. Katie Lee (UT), 5-7, 7-5 DNF
6. Caroline Hitimana (UF) d. Kata Szekely (UT), 6-1, 3-6, 6-3*
Order of Finish: doubles-2, 3*; singles-4, 3, 2, 6*
Records: Florida 24-2; Tennessee 16-8
2010 SEC Women's Tennis Championship All-Tournament Team
*Marrit Boonstra, Florida
Allie Will, Florida
Rosalia Alda, Tennessee
Maria Sorbello, Tennessee
Kristi Boxx, Ole Miss
Dijana Stojic, South Carolina
*MVP
-UF-
