Gator Men's Tennis Opens Play at the 2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships

Friday, October 21

Athens, GA

12:00 AM

Florida Gators

ITA Southeast Regional

Gator Men's Tennis Opens Play at the 2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships

Saturday, October 22, 2011 | Men's Tennis

The University of Florida men's tennis team had four singles players advance to the Round of 32 and two doubles teams advance to the Quarterfinals of the 2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens.

Senior Nassim Slilam (Paris, France), the highest-seeded Gator in the event at No. 3 overall, pulled out a close first set before breezing to a win in the second set over Miami's Santiago Nieto, 7-6 (8), 6-0. Slilam will face Blake Davis from Florida State in the Round of 32 on Saturday.

Juniors Billy Federhofer (North Miami, Fla.) and Bob van Overbeek (Boca Raton, Fla.) each won in three sets to advance to the Round of 32. Federhofer beat FSU's Cristian Gonzalez, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, and van Overbeek took down Miami's Omar Aly, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Sophomore Spencer Newman (Miami, Fla.) cruised against Miami's Pedro Ast, winning 6-0, 6-1. Newman will face FAU's Will Neuner in the Round of 32.

Junior Frank Carleton (Naples, Fla.) and sophomore Andrew Butz (Vero Beach, Fla.) dropped their opening matches and will play in the Consolation Singles bracket beginning on Saturday. Carleton lost, 6-4, 6-3, to UCF's Mitch Thams and Butz lost a tight three-set match to FSU's Jordan Kelly-Houston, 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (2).

Sophomore Michael Alford (Tampa, Fla.) withdrew from the tournament.

On the doubles side, all three Florida duos won their opening matches. Slilam and Federhofer beat UNF's pair of Maritz Buerchner and Daniel Sotomarino, 8-5, before taking down Georgia's tandem of Eric Diaz and Will Oliver, 8-2, to advance to the Quarterfinals.

Butz and van Overbeek also advanced to the Quarterfinals, winning against FAU's Chris Janssen and Sean Bacha, 9-7, in the second round and beating Florida State's pair of Andres Bucaro and Brian Alden, 8-6, in the Round of 16.

Carleton and Newman won their opening match against Levan Clark and Chidi Gabriel from FAMU, 8-5, but dropped their Round of 16 match against Georgia's Wil Spencer and Garrett Brasseaux, 8-3.

The complete draws for singles and doubles can be found here: 2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships

The winner of both the singles and doubles draws will advance to play in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships, held at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., November 3-6.

2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships

Athens, Ga. – Dan Magill Tennis Complex, University of Georgia

FLORIDA RESULTS

MAIN DRAW SINGLES
First Round – Friday, 10/21

Billy Federhofer (UF) def. Cristian Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3

Nassim Slilam (UF) def. Santiago Nieto (Miami) 7-6 (8), 6-0

Bob van Overbeek (UF) def. Omar Aly (Miami) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Spencer Newman (UF) def. Pedro Ast (Miami) 6-0, 6-1

Jordan Kelly-Houston (FSU) def. Andrew Butz (UF) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (2)

Mitch Thams (UCF) def. Frank Carleton (UF) 6-4, 6-3

Michael Alford (UF) – withdrew from tournament

Round of 32 – Saturday, 10/22