Sunday, April 16
Columbia, SC / Carolina Tennis Center
1 PM
Florida Gators
2
at
5
South Carolina
Jonah Braswell earned his team-high 28th win of the year. (Photo by: Wes Wilson)
No. 21 Florida Drops Regular Season Finale to No. 9 South Carolina
Sunday, April 16, 2023 | Men's Tennis
The Gators earned the No. 8 seed at the SEC Tournament and will face No. 9 seed Auburn on Thursday afternoon.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 21 Florida men's tennis team ended their 2023 regular season dual match campaign on Sunday afternoon, falling 5-2 to No. 9 South Carolina in Columbia.
Florida (13-12, 5-7 SEC) opened the match in the deficit - dropping courts two and three 6-3 - against South Carolina (19-5, 8-4 SEC), despite a top-ranked triumph on court one. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve faced off against No. 1 Toby Samuel/Connor Thomson and converted a crucial break at 15-40 for their first lead at 2-1. Both pairs held serve up until 4-2, when Grant/Nefve converted their second break of the match and served out the match completing the conquest 6-2. Grant/Nefve are riding a six-match winning streak and added their ninth ranked-victory of the spring.
Requiring four singles victories for the second straight match, South Carolina added to their lead after claiming a straight set win on court one. On court six, Tanapatt Nirundorn brought Florida back within one by topping Jake Beasley in straights. The freshman would open with a strong 6-3 first set and cruised to open the second frame by winning the first four games. Nirundorn finished off Beasley 6-2 and the native of Thailand earned his fourth SEC victory and sixth dual victory in the sixth position.
The Gamecocks answered on court two in straight sets for the 3-1 lead, putting all of the pressure on the Gators to comeback. All three matches were fighting in third set deciders to determine the match. After falling in the opening set 6-3, Nate Bonetto leveled the match at one-apiece after converting a break of No. 102 Casey Hoole's service game to win the second set, 6-4. Yet, Hoole managed to convert an early break to distance himself and held off Bonetto on deuce point at 5-4 to clinch the victory for South Carolina.
The final two remaining matches were played out and South Carolina picked up their fifth point via court four. No. 106 Jonah Braswell completed the match with a win over James Story in the three position. Braswell moved past Story in the first set 6-4, utilizing a break to go up 5-4 and held serve to close the frame. Story bounced back in the second 7-5, but Braswell returned to form and closed out the third 6-3.
The 2023 Southeastern Conference Tournament bracket was finalized following the match and the Gators earned the No. 8 seed at the event. Florida is set to play the host, No. 9 seed Auburn at the Yarbrough Tennis Center on Thursday, April 20 at 3 p.m.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 1 Toby Samuel/Connor Thomson (USC), 6-2
2. No. 51 Jake Beasley/James Story (USC) def. Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 6-3
3. Casey Hoole/Raphael Lambling (USC) def. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 8 Toby Samuel (USC) def. No. 41 Axel Nefve (UF), 6-3, 6-0
2. No. 17 Connor Thomson (USC) def. No. 83 Will Grant (UF), 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 106 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. James Story (USC), 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
4. No. 120 Raphael Lambling (USC) def. Lukas Greif (UF), 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. No. 102 Casey Hoole (USC) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
6. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) def. Jake Beasley (USC), 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 2, 4, 5, 3
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Florida (13-12, 5-7 SEC) opened the match in the deficit - dropping courts two and three 6-3 - against South Carolina (19-5, 8-4 SEC), despite a top-ranked triumph on court one. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve faced off against No. 1 Toby Samuel/Connor Thomson and converted a crucial break at 15-40 for their first lead at 2-1. Both pairs held serve up until 4-2, when Grant/Nefve converted their second break of the match and served out the match completing the conquest 6-2. Grant/Nefve are riding a six-match winning streak and added their ninth ranked-victory of the spring.
Requiring four singles victories for the second straight match, South Carolina added to their lead after claiming a straight set win on court one. On court six, Tanapatt Nirundorn brought Florida back within one by topping Jake Beasley in straights. The freshman would open with a strong 6-3 first set and cruised to open the second frame by winning the first four games. Nirundorn finished off Beasley 6-2 and the native of Thailand earned his fourth SEC victory and sixth dual victory in the sixth position.
The Gamecocks answered on court two in straight sets for the 3-1 lead, putting all of the pressure on the Gators to comeback. All three matches were fighting in third set deciders to determine the match. After falling in the opening set 6-3, Nate Bonetto leveled the match at one-apiece after converting a break of No. 102 Casey Hoole's service game to win the second set, 6-4. Yet, Hoole managed to convert an early break to distance himself and held off Bonetto on deuce point at 5-4 to clinch the victory for South Carolina.
The final two remaining matches were played out and South Carolina picked up their fifth point via court four. No. 106 Jonah Braswell completed the match with a win over James Story in the three position. Braswell moved past Story in the first set 6-4, utilizing a break to go up 5-4 and held serve to close the frame. Story bounced back in the second 7-5, but Braswell returned to form and closed out the third 6-3.
The 2023 Southeastern Conference Tournament bracket was finalized following the match and the Gators earned the No. 8 seed at the event. Florida is set to play the host, No. 9 seed Auburn at the Yarbrough Tennis Center on Thursday, April 20 at 3 p.m.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 6 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF) def. No. 1 Toby Samuel/Connor Thomson (USC), 6-2
2. No. 51 Jake Beasley/James Story (USC) def. Nate Bonetto/Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF), 6-3
3. Casey Hoole/Raphael Lambling (USC) def. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF), 6-3
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 8 Toby Samuel (USC) def. No. 41 Axel Nefve (UF), 6-3, 6-0
2. No. 17 Connor Thomson (USC) def. No. 83 Will Grant (UF), 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 106 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. James Story (USC), 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
4. No. 120 Raphael Lambling (USC) def. Lukas Greif (UF), 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. No. 102 Casey Hoole (USC) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
6. Tanapatt Nirundorn (UF) def. Jake Beasley (USC), 6-3, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 6, 2, 4, 5, 3
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
30
Toby Samuel / 0 (8/-) [SC]
66
#2 Singles Match
12
23
Connor Thomson / 0 (17/-) [SC]
66
#3 Singles Match
123
656
James Story / 0 [SC]
473
#4 Singles Match
123
623
Raphael Lambling / 0 (120/-) [SC]
266
#5 Singles Match
123
364
Casey Hoole / 0 (102/-) [SC]
646
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Jake Beasley / 0 [SC]
32
Order of Finish:
1,6,2,5,4,3
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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