Friday, May 5
Tucson, AZ / LaNelle Robson Tennis Center
1 PM
Florida Gators
2
vs
4
Oklahoma State
Axel Nefve will continue his final collegiate season at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. (Photo by: Madison Farwell)
Florida Falls to Oklahoma State in NCAA Tournament First Round
Friday, May 5, 2023 | Men's Tennis
The Gators fell short 4-2 in Tucson at the Arizona Regional.
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Florida Gators men's tennis team gave it their all, but dropped in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Oklahoma State 4-2 at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center on Friday afternoon to end their season.
In doubles, Florida (14-14, 5-7 SEC) were playing close with Oklahoma State (14-13, 0-5 BIG 12), but the Cowboys outlasted the Gators. At one doubles, No. 5 Will Grant/Axel Nefve were leveled at 3-3 with No. 78 Chase Ferguson/Tyler Zink, but couldn't fend the pair off and lost the last three games to fall first.
With Tanapatt Nirundorn out due to injury, Borys Zgola moved into the two position with Nate Bonetto against Isaac Becroft/Alex Garcia. Bonetto/Zgola were broken in the first service game to open the match and couldn't catch back up, ultimately losing 6-4 and Becroft/Garcia clinched the doubles point.
Court three was the strongest match for Florida, as Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif led 5-4 against Alessio Basile/Carl Roothman. The match ended with Oklahoma State hoping to hold serve and equalize, but it was left unfinished.
The Gators quickly tied the match thanks to No. 86 Braswell making quick work of Garcia on court three. After dropping just one game in the opening frame for the first set advantage, Braswell was broken in his opening service game to start the second. Unfazed, the freshman immediately broke back and secured the set 6-3 for the straight set victory. The win was Braswell's 29th of the season and team-leading 14th in dual play. The 29 overall victories are the most by a Florida freshman since 2017.
Oklahoma State retook the lead, adding back-to-back points on court five and two, respectively. Basile took down Bonetto, 6-4, 6-3 before No. 94 Becroft outlasted No. 91 Grant in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 putting the Cowboys within one of the victory.
The remaining three courts found themselves in tight matchups, especially Olek Orlikowski on court six. The freshman and Roothman held serve up until 5-5 in the first frame, when Roothman converted a break and served it out for the 7-5 set. The native of Poland was determined to bounce back and pounced on Roothman for the 4-1 lead before moving past with a 7-5 second set. From there, Orlikowski took charge of the final set and left no room for Roothman to come back, dispatching the Cowboy 6-1 for the three-set triumph.
All eyes went to court one with the Gators down 3-2, requiring No. 32 Nefve to dig himself out of a 5-2 hole in the third versus No. 104 Zink. The graduate student claimed the first set 6-4, but lost grasp of the second frame 7-5 to Zink after losing the final two games. Zink wouldn't let momentum slip and sealed the victory for Oklahoma State, serving out the match for the 6-2 win.
As the overall match ended, court four was locked between Greif and Ferguson. Ferguson grabbed the opening set 6-3, but Greif responded 6-4 in the second. The third set was tied at three apiece when the match was left unfinished.
Despite the team's season completed for Florida, Grant and Nefve will continue in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships on May 22 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. Nefve will represent that Gators in the singles competition, while Grant/Nefve will compete on the doubles side.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 78 Chase Ferguson/Tyler Zink (OKST) def. No. 5 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF), 6-3
2. Isaac Becroft/Alex Garcia (OKST) def. Nate Bonetto/Borys Zgola (UF), 6-4
3. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF) vs Alessio Basile/Carl Roothman (OKST), 5-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 2
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 104 Tyler Zink (OKST) def. No. 32 Axel Nefve (UF), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. No. 94 Isaac Becroft (OKST) def. No. 91 Will Grant (UF), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. No. 86 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. Alex Garcia (OKST), 6-1, 6-3
4. Lukas Greif (UF) vs Chase Ferguson (OKST), 3-6, 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
5. Alessio Basile (OKST) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-4, 6-3
6. Olek Orlikowski (UF) def. Carl Roothman (OKST), 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 2, 6, 1
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In doubles, Florida (14-14, 5-7 SEC) were playing close with Oklahoma State (14-13, 0-5 BIG 12), but the Cowboys outlasted the Gators. At one doubles, No. 5 Will Grant/Axel Nefve were leveled at 3-3 with No. 78 Chase Ferguson/Tyler Zink, but couldn't fend the pair off and lost the last three games to fall first.
With Tanapatt Nirundorn out due to injury, Borys Zgola moved into the two position with Nate Bonetto against Isaac Becroft/Alex Garcia. Bonetto/Zgola were broken in the first service game to open the match and couldn't catch back up, ultimately losing 6-4 and Becroft/Garcia clinched the doubles point.
Court three was the strongest match for Florida, as Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif led 5-4 against Alessio Basile/Carl Roothman. The match ended with Oklahoma State hoping to hold serve and equalize, but it was left unfinished.
The Gators quickly tied the match thanks to No. 86 Braswell making quick work of Garcia on court three. After dropping just one game in the opening frame for the first set advantage, Braswell was broken in his opening service game to start the second. Unfazed, the freshman immediately broke back and secured the set 6-3 for the straight set victory. The win was Braswell's 29th of the season and team-leading 14th in dual play. The 29 overall victories are the most by a Florida freshman since 2017.
Oklahoma State retook the lead, adding back-to-back points on court five and two, respectively. Basile took down Bonetto, 6-4, 6-3 before No. 94 Becroft outlasted No. 91 Grant in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 putting the Cowboys within one of the victory.
The remaining three courts found themselves in tight matchups, especially Olek Orlikowski on court six. The freshman and Roothman held serve up until 5-5 in the first frame, when Roothman converted a break and served it out for the 7-5 set. The native of Poland was determined to bounce back and pounced on Roothman for the 4-1 lead before moving past with a 7-5 second set. From there, Orlikowski took charge of the final set and left no room for Roothman to come back, dispatching the Cowboy 6-1 for the three-set triumph.
All eyes went to court one with the Gators down 3-2, requiring No. 32 Nefve to dig himself out of a 5-2 hole in the third versus No. 104 Zink. The graduate student claimed the first set 6-4, but lost grasp of the second frame 7-5 to Zink after losing the final two games. Zink wouldn't let momentum slip and sealed the victory for Oklahoma State, serving out the match for the 6-2 win.
As the overall match ended, court four was locked between Greif and Ferguson. Ferguson grabbed the opening set 6-3, but Greif responded 6-4 in the second. The third set was tied at three apiece when the match was left unfinished.
Despite the team's season completed for Florida, Grant and Nefve will continue in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships on May 22 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. Nefve will represent that Gators in the singles competition, while Grant/Nefve will compete on the doubles side.
DOUBLES RESULTS
1. No. 78 Chase Ferguson/Tyler Zink (OKST) def. No. 5 Will Grant/Axel Nefve (UF), 6-3
2. Isaac Becroft/Alex Garcia (OKST) def. Nate Bonetto/Borys Zgola (UF), 6-4
3. Jonah Braswell/Lukas Greif (UF) vs Alessio Basile/Carl Roothman (OKST), 5-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 2
SINGLES RESULTS
1. No. 104 Tyler Zink (OKST) def. No. 32 Axel Nefve (UF), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. No. 94 Isaac Becroft (OKST) def. No. 91 Will Grant (UF), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. No. 86 Jonah Braswell (UF) def. Alex Garcia (OKST), 6-1, 6-3
4. Lukas Greif (UF) vs Chase Ferguson (OKST), 3-6, 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
5. Alessio Basile (OKST) def. Nate Bonetto (UF), 6-4, 6-3
6. Olek Orlikowski (UF) def. Carl Roothman (OKST), 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 5, 2, 6, 1
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Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
123
Tyler Zink / 0 (104/-) [OSU]
476
652
#2 Singles Match
123
Isaac Becroft / 0 (94/-) [OSU]
266
634
#3 Singles Match
12
Alex Garcia / 0 [OSU]
13
66
#4 Singles Match
1234
Chase Ferguson / 0 [OSU]
643UF
363UF
#5 Singles Match
12
Alessio Basile / 0 [OSU]
66
43
#6 Singles Match
123
Carl Roothman / 0 [OSU]
751
576
Order of Finish:
3,5,2,6,1
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ 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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