LAKE NONA, Fla. – In front of an energetic sold out crowd of over 1,000 Florida and Florida State fans on Saturday night, the No. 2-ranked Gators came out on top for the second consecutive year at College MatchDay, 4-1, over No. 21 Florida State for a top-25 win at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Fla. Junior
Andy Andrade replicated last year's College MatchDay finish, clinching the match for the second year in a row for Florida to push a five-match win streak and move the Gators' record to 7-1 on the year. The Seminoles drop to 6-2, as the win also serves as UF's third consecutive win in the past three meetings against Florida State.
Despite the 4-1 finish, the entirety of the match was played at a highly competitive level that started from the very beginning in doubles action. As the doubles point came down to No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, senior
Johannes Ingildsen and freshman
Will Grant managed to prevail on court two to grant UF their eighth straight doubles point of the year to secure the 1-0 advantage.
Juniors
Josh Goodger and
Duarte Vale picked up where they left off, moving to 4-0 on the year in No. 3 doubles with a 6-3 win over FSU's Richard Thongoana and Marcus Walters. Goodger and Vale have dominated together at the No. 3 position all season, as the duo hasn't let up more than three games to opponents in their four-match win streak.
Meanwhile, Ingildsen and Grant were deadlocked at 4-4 on court two against Loris Puorroy and Juan Martin Jalif, while No. 14-ranked
Oliver Crawford and
Sam Riffice held a 5-3 lead on court one over Sebastian Arcila and Alex Knaff. Ingildsen and Grant would hold to take a 5-4 lead, as the two were tested for the win on match point with a series of gutsy returns before Grant slammed a winner to secure the doubles point and get the Florida faithful on their feet.
Florida was able to come through in the clutch throughout doubles play, as the Gators took eight of the ten duece points played to vault into singles with the lead.
The Gators then came out on the attack in singles, securing four first-set wins, though, FSU wouldn't roll over in battling through second sets to pose a threat at a comeback.
Johannes Ingildsen gave the Gators the second point of the night with a ranked win – his first of the year - over No. 92 Rana Roop Bhullar in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Ingildsen remains undefeated on the year (4-0), as the Copenhagen, Denmark native is just four wins shy of hitting the century mark for his career in singles wins.
Just moments later, No. 17
Duarte Vale added his team-leading sixth win of the dual season, downing Marcus Walters in No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-3, to push a 3-0 margin.
Despite a first-set win from No. 4
Sam Riffice (6-3) and No. 72
Andy Andrade (6-1), the Seminoles nabbed first-set victories on courts one and five, as FSU's Loris Pourroy took the advantage over
Josh Goodger (No. 5), 6-3, followed by Alex Knaff besting No. 31
Oliver Crawford in the first set of No. 1 singles, 6-3, as well.
Goodger fought hard in the second set, playing with the energy of the crowd on his side, as he would hold after trailing 5-6 to force a tiebreak. Unfortunately, Puorroy would find his groove in the tiebreaker to put the Seminoles on the scoreboard with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win to make the score 3-1.
As Goodger's match winded down, No. 72
Andy Andrade climbed back from a 2-3 deficit early on in the second set against Sebastian Arcila to push a 5-4 lead with match point on court four. With the energy of the crowd and the team on the next court cheering him on, Andrade went on to clinch the match, 6-1, 6-4, as the Gators would storm the court to praise the junior upon Florida's second straight College MatchDay victory.
Additionally, the win serves as Andrade's third match-clincher this season (FAU, USF), while currently riding a three-match win streak.
QUOTABLES
Head Coach Bryan Shelton
On beating FSU for second straight year at College MatchDay…
"It feels great. I'm just happy for our guys that they were able to come out and compete the way they did tonight. It's always a testy match and a fun match against the Seminoles. Hats off to their team because they came out and competed really well tonight. I thought it was a fair match … high character."
"Happy to see Andy [Andrade] clinch this thing. I think that'll be a big confidence-booster for him and for some of the other guys as well. We continued to play good doubles and that's setting the table really well each match. Hopefully we can continue to improve in that area as well. Got a lot of good tennis ahead of us this spring. Going indoors the next couple weeks to play Illinois, Purdue and then National Team Indoors, so excited to get back home and get inside a little bit to get ready for those matches."
On Andy Andrade's second consecutive clinch at College MatchDay…
"He's a scary talent. The beautiful thing about Andy right now is that he's starting to bring it every single day. He's bringing the energy to practice, he's bringing it to matches, he's working out and doing his extra work and it's all coming with high intensity. I think he's just growing up and becoming a man and it's pretty cool to see that before our eyes."
Junior Andy Andrade
On second consecutive College MatchDay win and clinching the win…
"It feels great. This is the second year in a row for me to do it so, for me, it feels amazing. Looking at all these guys come on my court and see all their smiles, it for sure puts a smile on my face. I think we played pretty good. We're pretty confident right now at the moment and this big W for sure is going to lead us to more confidence."
UP NEXT:
- The Gators prepare for their first road trip of the dual season, traveling to face Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. at 7 p.m. ET next Friday, Feb. 7, followed by a 10 a.m. matchup at Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. on Sunday, Feb. 9.
#2 University of Florida 4, #21 Florida State University 1
Singles competition – 6, 3, 5, 4 (Order of finish)
1. Alex Knaff (FSU) vs. #31
Oliver Crawford (UF) 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
2. Juan Martin Jalif (FSU) vs. #4
Sam Riffice (UF) 3-6, 6-4, unfinished
3. #17
Duarte Vale (UF) def. Marcus Walters (FSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. #72
Andy Andrade (UF) def. Sebastian Arcila (FSU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Loris Pourroy (FSU) def.
Josh Goodger (UF) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
6.
Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. #92 Rana Roop Bhullar (FSU) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition – 3, 2 (Order of finish)
1. Sebastian Arcila/Alex Knaff (FSU) vs. #14
Oliver Crawford/
Sam Riffice (UF) 3-5, unfinished
2.
Will Grant/
Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. Juan Martin Jalif/Loris Pourroy (FSU) 6-4
3.
Josh Goodger/
Duarte Vale (UF) def. Richard Thongoana/Marcus Walters (FSU) 6-3
