Sunday, January 23
Gainesville, Fla.
12:30 PM
Florida Gators
7
vs
0
UCF
Gators Sweep No. 14 UCF, 7-0
Sunday, January 23, 2022 | Men's Tennis
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The No. 3 Florida Gators men's tennis team welcomed in-state rival and No. 14 team UCF to Gainesville, sweeping the Knights by a score of 7-0 in the team's first home dual match of the season. In doing so, the Gators move to 2-1 on the season with two, top-15 victories.
The match started strong when doubles team Abedallah Shelbayh and Duarte Vale put together a clinic on court two. The Gators tandem only allowed the UCF pairing of Trey Hilderbrand and JC Roddick to claim one game in their 6-1 victory.
The No. 51 duo of Andy Andrade and Mattias Siimar clinched the doubles point for the Gators after posting a 6-3 victory against Alan Rubio and Kento Yamada at court three. The match was back-and-forth in the beginning, with both teams trading games until Andrade and Siimar went up 3-2, then won the next three games for a 6-3 final.
In singles, every Gator claimed the first set of their match en route to a clean sweep of the Knights.
Florida's second point of the day came at court five when No. 61 Siimar defeated Roddick, 6-4, 3-0 (retired), for his sixth overall win over the last three matches. Siimar is the only undefeated Gator in both singles and doubles so far, without ever dropping a set. In what was a close first set, Siimar was able to win three out of the next four games after being tied with Roddick, 3-3, to clinch the first set by a score of 6-4. Roddick would retire due to injury in the following set with Siimar up 3-0.
The Gators next point was put on the board courtesy of Riffice at court one. He faced No. 16 Hilderbrand, who was the singles runner-up in the ITA Southeast Regional tournament this fall, and posted a straight-set win with scores of 6-2, 6-3.
Riffice went up 3-1 in the first set, before Hilderbrand came back to win the next game and cut into the lead, 3-2. Riffice won the next three games in a row to win set one, 6-2. The next set saw Riffice down 1-2, but he was able to come back and tie it up 2-2 before taking a lead of 4-3 in the seventh game. The senior captain claimed his match with a 6-3 second set as Florida went up 3-0 in points. Riffice now boasts 75 singles wins in his career with his top-20 victory over Hilderbrand.
Senior Vale clinched the match for the Gators after posting a 6-3, 6-3 win over Rubio. Vale went up in the first set 5-2, before Rubio fought back to cut into the lead, 5-3. The Gator sealed the deal with a 6-3 first set after winning the next game. The two traded games in the second set, tying three different times, before Vale pulled away and won the next three games in a row for the 6-3 victory in set two. With his two wins on the day, Vale now sits at ninth all-time in career overall wins with 177 (96 singles, 81 doubles), and ties for 10th in all-time career doubles wins with 81.
Freshman Nate Bonetto, who sits at No. 79 in ITA's latest rankings, made his dual season debut in Sunday's match as he was paired against Pavel. The Gator won his first career dual match after posting a straight-set victory over the Knight, 7-6 (3), 6-4. The two went back-and-forth in the first set, tying three different times and forcing a tiebreak. Bonetto, after being down 5-6, forced the breaker and ended up winning the first set, 7-6 (3). After being down 2-3 to start the second set, Bonetto never backed down. He won four of the next six games to claim the second set by a 6-4 score.
Florida's last two singles matches went to three sets with both Gators winning their matches and finishing the sweep of No. 14 UCF.
No. 2 Shelton faced Cronje at court three and won in three sets, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3. Shelton won his first set in a close battle, 6-4, before dropping his next set 0-6. The Gator and Knight tied 3-3 in the third set before Shelton won three straight games to win set three, 6-3.
At court four, No. 107 Andrade beat UCF's Yamada, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, to complete the 7-0 sweep for Florida. In the first set, the two would tie 1-1, before Andrade went on to win the next five games and claim set one, 6-1. The senior dropped the second set, 2-6, before coming back to win in the third. The Gator and Knight tied things up at 2 in the third set, before the momentum shifted in Andrade's favor. He went up 3-2, after being down in points 40-15, then posted three straight games to take set three, 6-2. Andrade now has 117 career singles wins which ties for second in school history. He just needs four more singles wins to break the record.
The Gators host ITA Kick-Off Weekend next week as Princeton, UNCW and Florida State come to Gainesville on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29-30. Florida's first match is against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Sam Riffice (UF) def. #16 Trey Hilderbrand (UCF), 6-2, 6-3
2. Duarte Vale (UF) def. Alan Rubio (UCF), 6-3, 6-3
3. #2 Ben Shelton (UF) def. Lleyton Cronje (UCF), 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
4. #107 Andy Andrade (UF) def. Kento Yamada (UCF), 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
5. #61 Mattias Siimar (UF) def. JC Roddick (UCF), 6-4, 3-0, retired
6. #79 Nate Bonetto (UF) def. Bogdan Pavel (UCF), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 2, 6, 3, 4
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Sam Riffice/Ben Shelton (UF) vs. Lleyton Cronje/Bogdan Pavel (UCF), 5-4, unfinished
2. Abedallah Shelbayh/Duarte Vale (UF) def. Trey Hilderbrand/JC Roddick (UCF), 6-1
3. #51 Andy Andrade/Mattias Siimar (UF) def. Alan Rubio/Kento Yamada (UCF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3
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The match started strong when doubles team Abedallah Shelbayh and Duarte Vale put together a clinic on court two. The Gators tandem only allowed the UCF pairing of Trey Hilderbrand and JC Roddick to claim one game in their 6-1 victory.
The No. 51 duo of Andy Andrade and Mattias Siimar clinched the doubles point for the Gators after posting a 6-3 victory against Alan Rubio and Kento Yamada at court three. The match was back-and-forth in the beginning, with both teams trading games until Andrade and Siimar went up 3-2, then won the next three games for a 6-3 final.
In singles, every Gator claimed the first set of their match en route to a clean sweep of the Knights.
Florida's second point of the day came at court five when No. 61 Siimar defeated Roddick, 6-4, 3-0 (retired), for his sixth overall win over the last three matches. Siimar is the only undefeated Gator in both singles and doubles so far, without ever dropping a set. In what was a close first set, Siimar was able to win three out of the next four games after being tied with Roddick, 3-3, to clinch the first set by a score of 6-4. Roddick would retire due to injury in the following set with Siimar up 3-0.
The Gators next point was put on the board courtesy of Riffice at court one. He faced No. 16 Hilderbrand, who was the singles runner-up in the ITA Southeast Regional tournament this fall, and posted a straight-set win with scores of 6-2, 6-3.
Riffice went up 3-1 in the first set, before Hilderbrand came back to win the next game and cut into the lead, 3-2. Riffice won the next three games in a row to win set one, 6-2. The next set saw Riffice down 1-2, but he was able to come back and tie it up 2-2 before taking a lead of 4-3 in the seventh game. The senior captain claimed his match with a 6-3 second set as Florida went up 3-0 in points. Riffice now boasts 75 singles wins in his career with his top-20 victory over Hilderbrand.
Senior Vale clinched the match for the Gators after posting a 6-3, 6-3 win over Rubio. Vale went up in the first set 5-2, before Rubio fought back to cut into the lead, 5-3. The Gator sealed the deal with a 6-3 first set after winning the next game. The two traded games in the second set, tying three different times, before Vale pulled away and won the next three games in a row for the 6-3 victory in set two. With his two wins on the day, Vale now sits at ninth all-time in career overall wins with 177 (96 singles, 81 doubles), and ties for 10th in all-time career doubles wins with 81.
Freshman Nate Bonetto, who sits at No. 79 in ITA's latest rankings, made his dual season debut in Sunday's match as he was paired against Pavel. The Gator won his first career dual match after posting a straight-set victory over the Knight, 7-6 (3), 6-4. The two went back-and-forth in the first set, tying three different times and forcing a tiebreak. Bonetto, after being down 5-6, forced the breaker and ended up winning the first set, 7-6 (3). After being down 2-3 to start the second set, Bonetto never backed down. He won four of the next six games to claim the second set by a 6-4 score.
Florida's last two singles matches went to three sets with both Gators winning their matches and finishing the sweep of No. 14 UCF.
No. 2 Shelton faced Cronje at court three and won in three sets, 6-4, 0-6, 6-3. Shelton won his first set in a close battle, 6-4, before dropping his next set 0-6. The Gator and Knight tied 3-3 in the third set before Shelton won three straight games to win set three, 6-3.
At court four, No. 107 Andrade beat UCF's Yamada, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, to complete the 7-0 sweep for Florida. In the first set, the two would tie 1-1, before Andrade went on to win the next five games and claim set one, 6-1. The senior dropped the second set, 2-6, before coming back to win in the third. The Gator and Knight tied things up at 2 in the third set, before the momentum shifted in Andrade's favor. He went up 3-2, after being down in points 40-15, then posted three straight games to take set three, 6-2. Andrade now has 117 career singles wins which ties for second in school history. He just needs four more singles wins to break the record.
The Gators host ITA Kick-Off Weekend next week as Princeton, UNCW and Florida State come to Gainesville on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29-30. Florida's first match is against Princeton on Saturday at 2 p.m.
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Sam Riffice (UF) def. #16 Trey Hilderbrand (UCF), 6-2, 6-3
2. Duarte Vale (UF) def. Alan Rubio (UCF), 6-3, 6-3
3. #2 Ben Shelton (UF) def. Lleyton Cronje (UCF), 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
4. #107 Andy Andrade (UF) def. Kento Yamada (UCF), 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
5. #61 Mattias Siimar (UF) def. JC Roddick (UCF), 6-4, 3-0, retired
6. #79 Nate Bonetto (UF) def. Bogdan Pavel (UCF), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 2, 6, 3, 4
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Sam Riffice/Ben Shelton (UF) vs. Lleyton Cronje/Bogdan Pavel (UCF), 5-4, unfinished
2. Abedallah Shelbayh/Duarte Vale (UF) def. Trey Hilderbrand/JC Roddick (UCF), 6-1
3. #51 Andy Andrade/Mattias Siimar (UF) def. Alan Rubio/Kento Yamada (UCF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
Trey Hilderbrand / 0 (16/-) [UCF]
23
66
#2 Singles Match
12
Alan Rubio / 0 [UCF]
33
66
#3 Singles Match
123
Lleyton Cronje / 0 [UCF]
463
606
#4 Singles Match
123
Kento Yamada / 0 [UCF]
162
626
#5 Singles Match
123
JC Roddick / 0 [UCF]
400
63WR
#6 Singles Match
12
Bogdan Pavel / 0 [UCF]
64
76
Order of Finish:
5,1,2,6,3,4
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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