GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 9 Florida (1-0) defeated FAU (0-1), 7-0, on Saturday to kick off its dual match season at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

The Gators returned to dual match action for the first time since March 8 of 2020 at Texas A&M after the COVID-19 pandemic led to the 2020 season being canceled.

Head coach Bryan Shelton was thankful for the opportunity for his team to take to the courts again.

"We feel very blessed," Shelton said. "We are fortunate to have the opportunity to play. When things ended last year, it was difficult for our team to take it. We had lost our last match and now to have the opportunity to be back playing for the spring and today, we feel very fortunate."

Saturday's match also saw the dual match debut and first collegiate dual match wins for Ben Shelton, son of Bryan Shelton.

Ben Shelton picked up a 6-3 win in No. 2 doubles with Johannes Ingildsen and a No. 5 singles win by a 6-2, 6-2 decision.

"It was exciting," Bryan Shelton said. "He was super pumped to be out there on the court and represent the Gators. He's been watching now for the last nine years here in Gainesville. Team after team after team, and to have the opportunity to be out there himself, and playing- he finished high school a year early to have this opportunity, so just really happy for him."

Captains Sam Riffice and Duarte Vale each went 2-0 on the day, earning a No. 1 doubles win, 6-3, as partners and the No. 45-ranked duo in the country, while also collecting singles wins in the No. 1 (Vale) and No. 2 (Riffice) spots for Florida.
Vale said he is just happy to be back competing.

"I can't even explain how good it feels," Vale said. "When our season got cut short last year, it was so devastating. For 10 months we were just working and waiting. Finally its here, so it feels so good."

Andy Andrade and Blaise Bicknell picked up the No. 3 doubles win, 7-6, while also recording victories in the No. 3 (Andrade) and No. 6 (Bicknell) singles positions.

Ingildsen won, 6-3, 7-5, in No. 4 singles to pick up the 99th singles win of his collegiate career. The man from Copenhagen, Denmark sits at No. 9 on the Gators all-time career singles wins list and will tie Elliot Orkin (2014-17) with his 100th victory for No. 8.

Florida will now host USF on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex.

Singles Results: 5, 3, 2, 4, 6, 1

1. #12 Duarte Vale (UF) def. #122 Maxime Lapraille (FAU) 7-6, 6-3
2. #8 Sam Riffice (UF) def. Filip Krolo (FAU) 7-5, 6-0
3. #85 Andy Andrade (UF) def. A. Fernandez Horta (FAU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. Kevin Huempfner (FAU) 6-3, 7-5
5. Ben Shelton (UF) def. Gerard Escandell (FAU) 6-2, 6-2
6. #68 Blaise Bicknell (UF) def. Finn Stodder (FAU) 6-1, 5-7, 10-6

Doubles Results: 2, 1, 3

1. #45 Duarte Vale/Sam Riffice (UF) def. Maxime Lapraille/Filip Krolo (FAU) 6-3
2. Ben Shelton/Johannes Ingildsen (UF) def. A. Fernandez Horta/Kevin Huempfner (FAU) 6-3
3. Andy Andrade/Blaise Bicknell (UF) def. Gerard Escandell/Finn Stodder (FAU) 7-6

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