Tough Competition Sets Back Gators in First Round of All-American Championship

Sunday, October 2

Tulsa, OK

TBA

Florida Gators

ITA All-American - Day 2 (Pre-Qualifying)

Tough Competition Sets Back Gators in First Round of All-American Championship

Sunday, October 2, 2016 | Men's Tennis

By: Kelsey Bibik

TULSA, Okla. – The pre-qualifying round of the ITA All-American Championships came to a close on Sunday, and the first national tournament of the fall season has proven to be tough for the UF men's tennis team. Three of the Gators competing in this round won their first matches, but were eventually eliminated and will not be moving on to the qualifying round on Monday.

Jordan Belga went into this tournament coming off two consecutive wins, earning a singles title in both the Duke James Bonk Invite and the Bedford Cup. Belga toppled his first opponent, LSU's Rafael Wagner, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the Round of 128, where he was defeated by Lamar's Michael Feucht (No. 1).

McClain Kessler was seeded ninth in his draw, and won his first two matches of the championship. He advanced to the Round of 32 on Sunday, where he ultimately fell to Baylor's Jimmy Bendeck (No. 17). Maxx Lipman, also seeded ninth, won his first match against Western Michigan's Matej Svejetllcic, but was defeated by Duke's Nick Stachowiak in the Round of 64.

Three Gators will compete in the qualifying round of the tournament, beginning on Monday. Chase Perez-Blanco will compete in the singles competition, and Elliott Orkin and Maxx Lipman will join the doubles competition. Perez-Blanco was ranked 76^th in the ITA Preseason Rankings, and the doubles team of Orkin/Lipman was ranked 38^th nationally.

Assistant Coach Scott Perleman:
"Today was a tough day for the Gators. We have to learn from our experiences in the fall and make sure we keep out focus on improving each and every day. Our coaching staff really likes the dedication and work ethic of this team. Tomorrow is a new day that offers a new opportunity to succeed."

Results

Pre-qualifying

Round of 256
- Jordan Belga (UF) def. Rafael Wagner (LSU), 6-3, 6-4
- Colin Markes (Texas) def. No. 17 Josh Wardell (UF), 6-3, 6-4
Round of 128
- No. 1 Michael Feucht (Lamar) def. Jordan Belga (UF), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (1)
- No. 9 McClain Kessler (UF) def. Vlad Kramarov (Louisiana), 6-2, 6-4
- No. 9 Maxx Lipman (UF) def. Matej Svjetllcic (WMU), 6-2, 7-5
Round of 64
- No. 9 McClain Kessler (UF) def. Julian Ziobinsky (Texas), 6-4, 6-4
- Nick Stachowiak (Duke) def. No. 9 Maxx Lipman (UF), 7-6 (5), 6-0
Round of 32
- No. 17 Jimmy Bendeck (Baylor) def. No. 9 McClain Kessler (UF), 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-0