Florida Gators
#10 Ohio State
Gators Fall to Buckeyes in Nonconference Test, 4-1
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – For the first time this season, the No. 18 Florida Gators dropped two consecutive matches after a nonconference loss to No. 10 Ohio State, 4-1, at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex Tuesday afternoon.
Similar to Friday's loss at Vanderbilt, the Gators started singles at a disadvantage after dropping the doubles point. It was the fourth time in the last five matches that the Orange and Blue fell behind early.
Freshman Chase Perez-Blanco fueled a fast start in singles for the Gators and tied the match, 1-1, when he defeated No. 68-ranked Ralf Steinbach in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. Unfortunately, he was the only Florida player who managed to put up a point for the home team.
The Gators return to conference action when they host No. 42 Mississippi State on Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex.
| 2015 University of Florida Men's Tennis | ||||||
| Scott Linder Stadium at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex | ||||||
| Gainesville, Fla. | ||||||
| Tuesday, March 10, 2015 | ||||||
| Doubles | FLORIDA | vs | OHIO STATE | Winner |
| Score/match length |
| Maxx Lipman | Kevin Metka (3) | |||||
| No. 1 - | Elliott Orkin | Ralf Steinbach (3) | OSU | 6-3 (:27) | ||
| Diego Hidalgo (33) | Herkko Pollanen | |||||
| No. 2 - | Gordon Watson (33) | Mikael Torpegaard | OSU* | 6-4 (:35) | ||
| Oliver Landert (72) | Chris Diaz (34) | |||||
| No. 3 - | Joshua Wardell (72) | Hunter Callahan (34) | UF | 6-3 (:27) | ||
| Singles | FLORIDA | vs | OHIO STATE | Winner |
| Score/match length |
| No. 1 - | Diego Hidalgo (64) | Mikael Torpegaard (28) | DNF | 6-4, 0-6, 0-5, DNF | ||
| No. 2 - | Maxx Lipman (78) | Chris Diaz (44) | OSU | 6-3, 6-1 (:1:10) | ||
| No. 3 - | Elliott Orkin (99) | Herkko Pollanen (114) | DNF | 6-2, 5-6, DNF | ||
| No. 4 - | Gordon Watson | Hunter Callahan | OSU* | 6-4, 7-5 (1:34) | ||
| No. 5 - | Chase Perez-Blanco | Ralf Steinbach (68) | UF | 6-2, 6-2 (1:02) | ||
| No. 6 - | Jordan Belga | Kevin Metka | OSU | 6-3, 6-3 (1:25) | ||
| FINAL SCORE: | Florida – 1 | Ohio State – 4 | * Clinched victory | |||
| Records: | Florida 6-5 | Ohio State 13-4 | ||||
| Order of Finish: | Doubles: 1, 3, 2* | Singles: 5, 2, 6, 4* | ||||
| Attendance: 218 | ||||||
Quotes from the Match
Shelton's Notes – Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On if the team was thinking at all about loss last year to Ohio State in the NCAA Round of 16 during today's match…
I think the thing that we thought about was really just how tough that team really is. We had a great match with them in the NCAA Tournament in Athens and it came down to the wire. It was exciting. We came up a point shy of winning, so we certainly kind of look back at that. But more than anything, just saw that in order to beat a team like Ohio State you've got to walk out on the court with confidence and you've got to be able to execute under pressure for a long amount of time. They're going to push you. And that's exactly what we saw today. They just came out there ready to play and they're just a really good opponent. So it's great for us to have that opportunity to have them on our schedule this year and for the next three years. It's a good barometer for us as to where exactly we are. We're not far off. We've got to tweak some things and make some improvements for sure, but I like the direction this team is heading and this match is going to help us this weekend when we face Mississippi State and Alabama.
On how the team got better today…
I think No. 3 doubles took a step in the right direction today. I'm really proud of the way Josh [Wardell] and Oliver [Landert] responded to a tough, difficult team. When the pressure was at its greatest, those guys played their best tennis. So I can't say that they did that in the last couple matches that they've played together, but certainly today they stepped up to the plate for us. I think Chase Perez-Blanco just continues to grow and get better. He talked today just about what a privilege it is to play for the University of Florida and how much it means to him and how much he's realized through the season that he's more and more thankful every day that he's here. He just really shared that with the team and I think he really gets it. He's willing to do what it takes to be successful and so it's fun to see the growth in him and the confidence growing daily.
Florida vs. Ohio State:
With today's loss, Florida dropped to 3-4 all-time versus the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Fast Start for the Freshman:
Freshman Chase Perez-Blanco has posted a singles point for the Gators in four of his last five outings. He is undefeated in conference singles (2-0) and with today's win, tied junior Diego Hidalgo for the team's best dual singles record on the season (7-1).
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