Friday, April 14
Gainesville, FL
5 PM
Florida Gators
2
vs
5
Kentucky
Will Grant and Axel Nefve earned their seventh top-50 doubles win of dual play.
No. 21 Florida Falls to No. 5 Kentucky
Friday, April 14, 2023 | Men's Tennis
The Gators will finish the regular season on the road Sunday at No. 9 South Carolina.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In the Gators third straight conference match against a top-10 foe, No. 21 Florida men's tennis gave No. 5 Kentucky all they could handle at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex, but couldn't overcome the Wildcats and fell 5-2 on Friday's Senior Night.
For just the second time all season outdoors and for the first time since March 18, Florida (13-11, 5-6 SEC) dropped the doubles point to start the match against Kentucky (21-4, 9-3 SEC). Both teams found themselves in a 1-1 crossroads in doubles competition with No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve earning their seventh victory against a top-50 opponent, beating No. 26 Alafia Ayeni/Taha Baadi, 6-4. Despite being broken in the first game of the match, Grant/Nefve converted a break to tie the match at 3-3 and converted their second break up 5-4 to complete the comeback for the first doubles win.
On court three, Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes answered with a 6-3 victory and increased the pressure for the pairs on court two. Both Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn and No. 65 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer held on each of their service games, in spite of two break point opportunities – at 0-0 and at 1-1 – for the Gators pair. The match went to a tiebreak and Lapadat/Mercer converted a mini-break for the 2-0 lead and helped distance themselves for the 7-5 win in the breaker.
With the Wildcats securing a 1-0 match lead, the Gators would need four singles victories to earn the victory. Kentucky quickly extended their lead to 3-0, but No. 106 Jonah Braswell picked up revenge on court three after facing No. 48 Lapadat for the second time this season. In the first match at ITA Indoors, Braswell fell in straights and he returned the favor this time out. The freshman fell behind 2-1 with an early break by Lapadat, but came back to win the first set, 6-4 by winning the final three games. Momentum remained in Braswell's hands the rest of the way, as the Sarasota, Fla. native recorded a bagel in the following frame and earned the highest ranked-victory of his career. The straight set triumph brought the Gators back within two and gave Braswell his first top-50 win in dual play.
The remaining three courts were all in third set deciders, but Nirundorn fell at court six and Kentucky clinched the victory. Nirundorn and Lukas Greif were the first Gators to secure their first sets in the match, yet both dropped the next two sets allowing Kentucky to lock up their fourth and fifth points.
Senior Night ended impressively for No. 41 Nefve at the top singles position, as the graduate student avenged his losses to Draxl at ITA Indoors this season and at the 2021 NCAA Singles Tournament. Nefve battled back to level his match at one-a-piece after letting the first frame slip, 6-4. The Delray Beach, Fla. native claimed the second set, 6-2, but found himself in a 5-3 hole in the final set. Down 40-love, Nefve saved four match points and broke No. 20 Draxl to begin a streak of winning four straight games to complete the comeback. The win marks Nefve's second against a top-25 opponent in dual play this season.
Florida wraps up their 2023 dual match campaign on the road Sunday, April 16 at South Carolina with a 1 p.m. first serve.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 26 Alafia Ayeni/Taha Baadi (UK), 6-4
2. No. 65 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer (UK) def. Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 7-6 (5)
3. Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 41 Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 20 Liam Draxl (UK), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. No. 31 Alafia Ayeni (UK) def. No. 83 Will Grant (UF), 6-3, 7-5
3. No. 106 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. No. 48 Joshua Lapadat (UK), 6-4, 6-0
4. Taha Baadi (UK) def. Lukas Greif (UF), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-3, 6-4
6. Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 6, 4, 1
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For just the second time all season outdoors and for the first time since March 18, Florida (13-11, 5-6 SEC) dropped the doubles point to start the match against Kentucky (21-4, 9-3 SEC). Both teams found themselves in a 1-1 crossroads in doubles competition with No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve earning their seventh victory against a top-50 opponent, beating No. 26 Alafia Ayeni/Taha Baadi, 6-4. Despite being broken in the first game of the match, Grant/Nefve converted a break to tie the match at 3-3 and converted their second break up 5-4 to complete the comeback for the first doubles win.
On court three, Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes answered with a 6-3 victory and increased the pressure for the pairs on court two. Both Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn and No. 65 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer held on each of their service games, in spite of two break point opportunities – at 0-0 and at 1-1 – for the Gators pair. The match went to a tiebreak and Lapadat/Mercer converted a mini-break for the 2-0 lead and helped distance themselves for the 7-5 win in the breaker.
With the Wildcats securing a 1-0 match lead, the Gators would need four singles victories to earn the victory. Kentucky quickly extended their lead to 3-0, but No. 106 Jonah Braswell picked up revenge on court three after facing No. 48 Lapadat for the second time this season. In the first match at ITA Indoors, Braswell fell in straights and he returned the favor this time out. The freshman fell behind 2-1 with an early break by Lapadat, but came back to win the first set, 6-4 by winning the final three games. Momentum remained in Braswell's hands the rest of the way, as the Sarasota, Fla. native recorded a bagel in the following frame and earned the highest ranked-victory of his career. The straight set triumph brought the Gators back within two and gave Braswell his first top-50 win in dual play.
The remaining three courts were all in third set deciders, but Nirundorn fell at court six and Kentucky clinched the victory. Nirundorn and Lukas Greif were the first Gators to secure their first sets in the match, yet both dropped the next two sets allowing Kentucky to lock up their fourth and fifth points.
Senior Night ended impressively for No. 41 Nefve at the top singles position, as the graduate student avenged his losses to Draxl at ITA Indoors this season and at the 2021 NCAA Singles Tournament. Nefve battled back to level his match at one-a-piece after letting the first frame slip, 6-4. The Delray Beach, Fla. native claimed the second set, 6-2, but found himself in a 5-3 hole in the final set. Down 40-love, Nefve saved four match points and broke No. 20 Draxl to begin a streak of winning four straight games to complete the comeback. The win marks Nefve's second against a top-25 opponent in dual play this season.
Florida wraps up their 2023 dual match campaign on the road Sunday, April 16 at South Carolina with a 1 p.m. first serve.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 26 Alafia Ayeni/Taha Baadi (UK), 6-4
2. No. 65 Joshua Lapadat/JJ Mercer (UK) def. Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 7-6 (5)
3. Liam Draxl/Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 41 Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 20 Liam Draxl (UK), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
2. No. 31 Alafia Ayeni (UK) def. No. 83 Will Grant (UF), 6-3, 7-5
3. No. 106 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. No. 48 Joshua Lapadat (UK), 6-4, 6-0
4. Taha Baadi (UK) def. Lukas Greif (UF), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
5. Jaden Weekes (UK) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-3, 6-4
6. Charlelie Cosnet (UK) def. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 6, 4, 1
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3,2
#1 Singles Match
123
Liam Draxl / 0 (20/-) [UK]
625
467
#2 Singles Match
12
Alafia Ayeni / 0 (31/-) [UK]
67
35
#3 Singles Match
12
Joshua Lapadat / 0 (48/-) [UK]
40
66
#4 Singles Match
123
Taha Baadi / 0 [UK]
367
635
#5 Singles Match
12
Jaden Weekes / 0 [UK]
66
34
#6 Singles Match
123
Charlelie Cosnet / 0 [UK]
466
643
Order of Finish:
5,2,3,6,4,1
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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