MADISON, WI – Florida dropped a deceiving 4-0 decision to No. 1-ranked Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals at the 2018 ITA National Indoor Team Championship held at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on the University of Wisconsin campus Saturday.
Â
In what was at least the first of two regular-season meetings between the Gators and Commodores, there were four three-set singles matches and all three doubles contests were a one-break difference.
Â
Â
Singling Out Success
Vanderbilt took a 2-0 lead in the team scoring after Amanda Meyer topped freshman
Katie Kubicz, 6-4, 6-4. The first set was on-serve late until Meyer got the break in the ninth game and held for the initial frame. Meyer opened the second with another break and despite a run of four straight breaks midway through, Kubicz couldn't make up the difference.
Â
Court three featured another of the Gators' three freshmen, as
McCartney Kessler won the first set against No. 19-ranked Christina Rosca, who proved her ranking and won the next two sets for a 3-0 Vanderbilt lead.
Â
The other four courts continued to battle.
Â
Senior
Peggy Porter dropped her first set and was serving down 5-3 before rallying to force a third set.
Â
Rookie
Victoria Emma won her first set against Emma Kurtz in a tiebreak, gathering herself after serving for the set twice before the breaker. Kurtz was serving for the second set that featured just one break in the seventh game when play was abandoned.
Â
Senior
Anna Danilina had just forced a third set after two thrilling initial sets when the match was halted after the Commodores clinched the team win.
Â
The deciding match was court two, where No. 5 Fernanda Contreras edged No. 50
Josie Kuhlman, 6-4, 7-5. The highly-ranked Contreras earned a break in the ninth game of the first set and held for the first. There were three breaks late in the second and Contreras had the upper hand at the end when she held to secure the decision.
Â
Â
Doubles Take
On the doubles court, UF's
Anna Danilina and
Victoria Emma battled No. 31 Astra Sharma and Fernanda Contreras, who earned a break in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead and the rest of the match was on-serve , as the Commodores took the 6-4 win and captured the victory result of the match.
Â
Josie Kuhlman and
McCartney Kessler were on court two, where, after a run of four consecutive service breaks midway through, the Gators halted the trend and held for 4-3. Emma Kurtz and Emily Smith also held and jumped out to triple-match point, capitalizing on that last one to win the match 6-4 and give Vandy the doubles point.
Â
On court three,
Peggy Porter and
Katie Kubicz was receiving on the short end of a 4-0 deficit before staging a great rally, that was halted at 5-all once the doubles point had been determined.
Â
Â
Gators vs. Vanderbilt: The Updated Series
- All-Time Series: UF leads the all-time series against the Commodores, 49-8
- Streak: Despite Florida's large lead in the series history, Vanderbilt has won five of the last seven meetings between the two teams
- Last Year: Vanderbilt won the regular-season match (4-2) and the SEC Tournament Final (4-3) bout, before Florida took the NCAA Semifinals win (4-2) en route to the seventh national championship in program history.
- Next Meeting: The teams are scheduled to meet again on April 14 in Gainesville in the regular-season finale for both squads.
Â
What's Next for the Gators
- Florida will play No. 7 Georgia Tech on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. CT in an added match in Madison, Wisconsin.
Â
Â
Quotes from the Gators - Head Coach Roland Thornqvist:
On the match:
"We played a really good Vanderbilt team and I continue to say the same thing – we're getting better. We were right in there. A point here and there would have made a big difference. I love our fight. I love our attitude. It's getting better every time we play and that's our goal.
Â
"We're proving to the tennis world that although we have a ton of new players in our lineup, this new project that we're starting this year has a lot of heart and that's going to go a long way.
Â
"We were right in there. There were four three-setters. Just a really, really tough fight. We had some leads in doubles. Our three doubles (team) did a good job coming back and I think there were a lot of positives. I know we're not in the business of giving out medals for second place, but I just feel overall, I'm pleased with our progress and eventually there is going to be gold under the rainbow for this team."
Â
Â
2018 ITA National Team Indoor Championships
Nielsen Tennis Stadium * Madison, Wis.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Â
Quarterfinal Matches
- (7) Duke def. (2) Georgia, 4-3
- (3) North Carolina def. (6) Texas Tech, 4-1
- (4) Pepperdine def. (5) Georgia Tech, 4-2
- (1) Vanderbilt def. (8) Florida, 4-0
Â
Florida's Individual Results
Â
Doubles (order of finish: 1, 2*)
No. 1: #31 Astra Sharma/Fernanda Contreras (VAN) def.
Anna Danilina/
Victoria Emma (FLA), 6-4
No. 2: Emma Kurtz/ Emily Smith (VAN) def.
Josie Kuhlman/
McCartney Kessler (FLA), 6-4*
No. 3:
Peggy Porter/
Katie Kubicz (FLA) vs. Christina Rosca/Amanda Meyer (VAN), 5-5 DNF
Â
Singles (order of finish: 6, 3, 2*)
No. 1: #7
Anna Danilina (FLA) vs. #51 Astra Sharma (VAN), 5-7, 7-6 (3) - DNF
No. 2: #5 Fernanda Contreras (VAN) def. #50
Josie Kuhlman (FLA), 6-4, 7-5*
No. 3: #19 Christina Rosca (VAN) def.
McCartney Kessler (FLA) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
No. 4: #96
Victoria Emma (FLA) vs. Emma Kurtz (VAN) 7-6 (3), 4-5 - DNF
No. 5:
Peggy Porter (FLA) vs. Summer Dvorak (VAN) 1-6, 7-5, 0-2 - DNF
No. 6: Amanda Meyer (VAN) def.
Katie Kubicz (FLA) 6-4, 6-4
Records: #3 Florida 3-3; #1 Vanderbilt 6-0
Â
Â
Catch the Action
Â
Â
Gator Pronunciations for this release
Â
Â
FOLLOW THE GATORS
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube |
JOIN THE CONVERSATION: #GoGators
Â
Â
