Florida Gators
ITA All-American-Day Three (Qualifying)
UF Advances Four Gators to Second Round of Qualifying Draw at ITA All-American Championships
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 | Men's Tennis
The University of Florida men's tennis team had a solid day on the singles courts at the Saint Francis Health Care System Men's ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. Four Gators were able to advance to the second round of the qualifying draw.
The Gators got off to a fast start on Monday morning at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center with freshman Alfredo Perez advancing out of the pre-qualifying draw by defeating ETSU's Robert Herrera, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1. Sophomore Jordan Belga fell in his final round pre-qualifying match to Keivon Tabrizi of WMU, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
Match play began in the qualifying draw with five Gators competing. No. 108-ranked Gordon Watson defeated fellow-SEC player Becker O'Shaughnessey of Alabama, 6-1, 6-2. Hugo Dojas of Texas Tech was able to get the win over No. 60-ranked Maxx Lipman, 6-3, 7-6(4). The No. 86-ranked Elliott Orkin defeated Alabama's Mazen Osama in a three-set match, 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(5). Freshman Perez won his second match of the day by taking down Ciro Riccardi of Dartmouth, 6-1, 7-5. No. 84-ranked Chase Perez-Blanco used straight-sets to take a victory over Alex Gasson of Denver, 6-3, 6-3.
The four Gators will continue match play in the qualifying draw on Tuesday.
What Coach Shelton Says
“We had a really good day out here in Tulsa. It's still really early in the season, but I like the way the guys are going about their business out here. All three coaches are really enjoying working with our guys and they are listening to the coaches and learning. We aren't executing perfectly but we're moving in the right direction. Tomorrow is going to be a tough test with the possibility of a lot of matches. Really looking forward to another great day.”
Pre-Qualifying Final Round Results
· Alfredo Perez (UF) def. Robert Herrera (ETSU). 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
· Keivon Tabrizi (WMU) def. Jordan Belga (UF), 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
Qualifying First Round Results
· #108 Gordon Watson (UF) def. Becker O'Shaughnessey (Alabama), 6-1, 6-2
· Hugo Dojas (Texas Tech) def. Maxx Lipman (UF), 6-3, 7-6(4)
· #86 Elliott Orkin (UF) def. Mazen Osama (Alabama), 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(5)
· Alfredo Perez (UF) def. Ciro Riccardi (Dartmouth), 6-1, 7-5
· #84 Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) def. Alex Gasson (Denver), 6-3, 6-3
Gators Selected for the All-American Championships
· Diego Hidalgo received an automatic berth into the singles main draw
· Chase Perez-Blanco, Elliott Orkin, Gordon Watson and Maxx Lipman earned entries into the singles qualifying draw
· Perez, Belga, Wardell and Kessler earned spots in the singles pre-qualifying draw
· In doubles, the pairings of Hidalgo and Watson and Orkin and Lipman received automatic berths into the doubles main draw
About the Saint Francis Health Care System ITA Men's All-American Championships
The Michael D. Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla. will serve as the host site for the 2015 Men's ITA All-American Championships. For the 11th straight year, the University of Tulsa will serve as the official tournament host. The tournament encompasses three rounds of competition with singles and doubles pre-qualifying matches beginning on Saturday, October 3. Qualifying matches are slated to begin on Monday, October 5 and main draw action is scheduled to start on Thursday, October 8 and run through Monday, October 12.
What's at Stake
Singles quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will receive an automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships on Nov. 12-15, head at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Follow Along with the All-American Championships
Online: Tournament Central Page
Twitter: Follow @ITATennis or #TulsaITA
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Players Mentioned
