Sam Riffice reacts during a key moment in Friday's victory that earned him the NCAA men's singles national title. (Photo: Manuela Davies/USTA)
Homecoming King: Riffice Caps Return Home in Gutsy Fashion
Friday, May 28, 2021 | Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sam Riffice has made the short drive from the USTA National Campus to his family's nearby home bordering the vast complex many times over the past few years.
But none quite like the one he made late Friday afternoon.
"It means the world to me,'' Riffice said. "For the NCAAs to be hosted here, it's perfect for me. I call this place home."
This time, Riffice was the NCAA men's tennis singles champion. As Riffice spoke to a caller about his momentous victory – he became only the third UF player to win the individual national title and first in 22 years – several familiar faces stopped Riffice on the way to his car.
They offered congratulations. Some requested to take a photo. Others gave Riffice a slap on the back after his 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 2-seed Daniel Rodrigues of South Carolina capped a memorable two weeks for the local favorite.
When Riffice finally reached his car and took a breath, he could exhale.
In a span of seven days, Riffice won his No. 2 singles match on Saturday night to help the Gators defeat Baylor to earn the program's first national title. The next day, and running on just a few hours sleep, the No. 6-seed Riffice opened the NCAA Tournament's singles competition with a three-set victory over Nathan Ponwith of Arizona State. In the days that followed, Riffice beat Georgia Tech's Andres Martin in three sets, took care of Illinois' Siphosothando Montsi and Texas A&M's Val Vachero in two, and in the national semifinals on Thursday, defeated No. 1-seed Liam Draxel of Kentucky in three sets.
Rodrigues was all that stood in Riffice's way on Friday as he attempted to join former Gators standouts Mark Merklein (1994) and Jeff Morrison (1999) as UF's only NCAA men's singles national champions.
"There were some times when I could have lost in the first two rounds,'' Riffice said. "I was a little bit out of it, a little tired, and coming down off the team win was pretty difficult. I couldn't have done it without the coaches."
An elated Sam Riffice celebrates his victory Friday over South Carolina's Daniel Rodrigues to win the NCAA men's singles national championship. (Photo: Manuela Davies/USTA)
With UF head coach Bryan Shelton, assistants Tanner Stump and Scott Perelman, and a supportive group of family and Gators fans urging Riffice to finish the job, he rebounded from a first-set loss to Rodrigues to take the final two sets. He broke Rodrigues' serve to go up 5-4 in the final set, overcoming the 90-degree heat and intruding fatigue to set off the second Orange & Blue celebration of the week.
"I credit him fully. I really thought I was going to run away with that third set,'' Riffice said. "I had a lot of chances to go up a double-break. I wasn't able to get them because he came up big. I just knew I had to stay strong and keep pounding away.
"I did not want to go to that bench down 4-5 trying to serve. That was a lot of extra motivation."
With the victory, the 22-year-old Riffice sealed his place among the great players in program history. While Merklein and Morrison achieved peak success in individual play, Riffice is the first player in program history to win a team national title and individual crown.
As Merklein prepared to fly to New York for a weekend trip on Friday, he saluted Riffice for his historic accomplishment.
"It's always tough because you have all the best players in the nation competing,'' Merklein said. "Everybody wants it. It's a tough event, especially for what they did. They went and won the team. When I played, the best we did was quarters, so I had some days off.
"That just shows his mentality and character and strength. I don't know if I could pull that off. It's pretty amazing."
The fact Riffice literally won at home added a special touch. Lori Riffice, Sam's mom, is the 14-under girls coach for the USTA development program. The family moved from Sacramento, Calif., to Boca Raton when Sam began to blossom as a juniors player. When he was 16, the USTA moved its headquarters from Boca Raton to Orlando, prompting another move for the Riffice family.
The USTA National Campus became Riffice's practice site.
"I hit on these courses the first day they were open,'' he said.
Riffice stayed at the team hotel during his time in Orlando and after the team competition was over and with more free time, after eating breakfast with his coaches and his matches, he would stop by his house for dinner and some family time. He usually returned to the hotel by 9 p.m. to prepare for the next round.
The routine paid off. So did Riffice's conditioning. He said countless hours training over the past year in the Florida heat helped him outlast Rodrigues, who was visibly tired in the final set and was penalized a point for a time delay at one point.
After an absolute battle for the Men's Singles Trophy, your CHAMPION is...SAM RIFFICE @RifficeSam 🎉3-6, 6-1, 6-4
"I feel like I did a good job of keeping my foot on the gas from the second set on,'' Riffice said. "I didn't give him a lot of chance to breathe."
After it was over, Riffice was asked about his future. A junior who is now eligible to earn a wild card to play in the U.S. Open later this summer as an American-born NCAA singles champion, he said he wants to see how he plays this summer before making any decisions about turning pro.
The future can wait. Now is a time to celebrate the most memorable two weeks of his tennis career. And to finally rest.
Riffice planned a quiet evening at home with his girlfriend and family on Friday night. Fortunately for Riffice, he didn't have to drive far.
"It's literally like a minute and half away,'' he said.
And off he went with his NCAA championship trophy.
