Junior Oliver Crawford pumps up the crowd during Wednesday night's loss to Texas at Linder Stadium. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: A Good Night Spoiled, Gators Have Texas-Sized Motivator
Thursday, January 16, 2020 | Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Four hours after it began, Bryan Shelton stood in front of a small framed poster that hangs above the water fountain inside the clubhouse at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Shelton had just wrapped a half-hour team meeting following the top-ranked Gators' 5-2 loss to No. 2 Texas on Wednesday night. No one asked Shelton if the words of Roger Federer can help in moments like this, but they certainly seemed fitting amidst the disappointment that hung in the air as the Gators walked out into the night.
Sometimes you're just happy playing. Some people, some media, unfortunately, don't understand that it's okay just to play tennis and enjoy it. They always think you have to win everything, it always needs to be a success story, and if it's not, obviously, what is the point? Maybe you have to go back and think, why have I started playing tennis? Because I just like it. It's actually sort of a dream hobby that become sort of a job. Some people just don't get that, ever.
In the aftermath of what transpired in front of a school-record crowd, now is as good time as any for the Gators to lean on Federer's message.
They looked in need of a pick-me-up as they watched with long faces when the Longhorns, nine months after knocking the Gators out of the Final Four in Orlando on the way to a national title, spoiled an otherwise perfect night for the home team.
The top-ranked Florida men's tennis team got off to a good start Wednesday against No. 2-ranked Texas when the doubles team of Josh Goodger, left, and Duarte Vale, right, secured the doubles point with a victory. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
"The guys were super, super excited about it,'' Shelton said.
So was everyone not on the courts.
This was college tennis at its best. A rare 1 vs. 2 matchup. The defending national champion facing a team with national title hopes. A grudge match in front of a rabid crowd. Perfect Florida weather.
The only thing missing for the majority of those in attendance was a different outcome.
The night started promising for Florida, which secured the doubles point when junior lefty Josh Goodger's ace clinched a win for he and his doubles partner Duarte Vale at No. 3 doubles. Coupled with a win at No. 2 doubles by Johannes Ingildsen and Will Grant, the Gators had an early lead.
The momentum carried into the singles competition, where Oliver Crawford (No. 1) and Andy Andrade (No. 4) won first sets. It appeared Vale (No. 3) and Lukas Greif (No. 5) would do the same with commanding leads. Vale led 5-0 in the first set against Siem Woldeab, and Greif was up 4-1 on Chih Chi Huang.
Bye-bye leads.
The match turned and wouldn't turn back.
"We just balked,'' Shelton said. "We just didn't run through the door. When they sensed we weren't running through the door and that we kind of backed up a little bit, they came and pounced."
Woldeab stormed back to win 12 consecutive games before finishing off Vale 7-5, 6-1. Meanwhile, Huang dug his way out for a 7-5, 6-3 win over Greif.
Fortunately for the Gators, Bicknell did the opposite, overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the first set against Cleeve Harper for a 7-5, 6-2 victory. At the time of Bicknell's win, the Gators trailed 3-2 with Crawford and Andrade still playing. However, Yuya Ito rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Crawford to close out the match and render Andrade's 6-4, 6-7, 2-6 loss to Elliott Spizzirri inconsequential in the final outcome.
A freshman from Miami via Jamaica who wasn't around when the Gators lost 4-2 to the Longhorns in the 2019 NCAA semifinals, Bicknell's comeback proved Florida's highlight. His resiliency kept Florida's hopes alive when it needed a shot of adrenaline.
Naturally, he had mixed emotions afterward.
"It was incredible. I've never felt like this before,'' Bicknell said. "I've never played a tennis match with an atmosphere like that in my life. This is just a small stepping-stone for us. We can get past this." Freshman Blaise Bicknell stormed back from a 5-0 deficit in the first set to win his match on Wednesday night. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)
They must to get where they want to go.
A veteran who led the Georgia Tech women's program to a national title prior to coming to Florida, the always-cool Shelton kept the outcome in perspective. Sure, the Gators left disappointed after waiting so long to get another shot at the Longhorns. Still, it's only their third dual-match of the season and they just returned from a three-week winter break.
The heart of the season lies ahead as does all their goals.
A win would have been a perfect cap to the night, but instead, a heartfelt team meeting and conversation about the future was in store.
"For our guys, I think they learned a valuable lesson tonight, and they learned it with a loss,'' Shelton said. "So be it. Good. Good, because one way or the other we've got to get better. That's the whole goal."
Shelton pointed to those moments in the first set of singles competition when the Gators flinched. The Longhorns seized the opportunity and never let up.
With Federer's message hanging behind him, Shelton had one of his own.
This is a story to be continued.
"This is the time to lose,'' he said. "This one certainly got our guys' attention."
