Gators Slug Past Gamecocks in SEC Home Opener

Saturday, March 11

Gainesville, FL

1 p.m.

Florida Gators

South Carolina

Ingrid Neel (left) and Anna Danilina clinched the doubles point before both won their respective singles match.

Gators Slug Past Gamecocks in SEC Home Opener

Saturday, March 11, 2017 | Women's Tennis

Final Scores (PDF)VIDEO - Postmatch with Coach Roland Thornqvist

Florida turned up its intensity on the singles court.

By: Kathy Cafazzo

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida began a bit slow on the doubles court and needed a tiebreak win on the final court to take the initial point of the dual match, before the Gators regrouped in singles action and completed the 4-0 sweep against No. 24 South Carolina at the Ring Tennis Complex on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

On the singles courts, Florida received straight-set wins by Anna Danilina, Kourtney Keegan and Ingrid Neel to capture its 18th consecutive regular-season win against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Two other Gators where close to finishing their respective singles matches when play was abandoned. Brooke Austin trailed her match 4-0 in the first before staging a great rally to take the first set 7-5 and was receiving, up 5-1 in the second at match-point. Josie Kuhlman was serving up 6-5 in the second set of her match when play was halted.

Danilina was the first off the singles court as she needed 73 minutes to claim the 6-4, 6-1 win on court No. 3 and post her 50th career singles victory. The Gator junior opened the match with a break and seemingly never looked back, taking leads of 4-1 in the first and second sets en route to the victory.

Keegan, whose win today was the 90^th of her career, earned a break in the sixth game of the first set and held for a 5-2 lead, breaking in the next game to take the first set. She found herself down a break at 3-1 in the second, but quickly regrouped and won five straight games to take the victory and give UF a 3-0 lead.

With a number of matches close to providing the finishing touches on the dual match, it was the freshman Neel who capped the day with a 6-3, 6-4 decision on court two. The rookie traded breaks to open the match, as she won four straight games for a 4-1 lead. After South Carolina held in the next game, Neel was broken and was receiving up 4-3. Not only did she earn another break, she won the final two games and then the first three of the second set for the lead and eventually the match, as she served out for the win.

In doubles action, Florida captured the first decision of the day, as Kuhlman and Belinda Woolock rallied from down a break and receiving at 4-3. The Gator pair dug deep and then Kuhlman held for a 5-4 lead, as the team earned its third break for a 6-4 win.

South Carolina then took the 6-4 decision on court No. 1, setting the stage for court two, where Danilina and Neel were in a battle with Caroline Dailey and Mia Horvit. With the match on-serve entering the 11^th game, the Gators earned a break for a 6-5 lead, however, couldn't close out the victory and the match entered a tiebreak to determine the initial point of the dual match. The Gamecocks earned a mini-break in the sixth game and took a 5-3 lead. They double-faulted on the ninth point of the break and Danilina held her two serves before the Gators took the match on their first opportunity in the tiebreak, 7-6 (7-5).

Gators vs. Gamecocks: The Series

45-March Series: UF leads 43-2 (UF at home: 19-0, Away 17-1, Neutral 7-1)
Current Streak: UF has won the last 42
Last Meeting: March 26, 2017 – UF won 4-1 in Columbia, S.C.
Last South Carolina Win: May 16, 1982, 5-4 at the NCAA Round of 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Streaking Along

Florida sports an active overall home win streak of 164 that includes SEC and NCAA Tournament matches. As of March 6, 2017, it is the longest active streak of any NCAA Division I team in any sport of any gender in the country. (Streak began January 22, 2005)
The Gators' current regular-season HOME win streak of 160 is the longest in program history and it includes four wins in 2017. (streak began on January 25, 2003)
Florida has compiled a 98-match HOME win streak against SEC foes (as of March 7, 2017). The Gators are 206-1 all-time at home against SEC teams, including SEC and NCAA Tournament matches. UF won a program-record 108 against SEC teams at home that ended April 7, 2002.

Florida has won 18 consecutive regular-season SEC matches

Individual Numbers of Note

Senior Kourtney Keegan won her 90th career singles match
Junior Anna Danilina won 50th career singles match

Women's College Tennis
No. 24 South Carolina at No. 1 Florida
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex * Gainesville, Fla.
Saturday, March 11, 2017

Final Score: Florida 4, South Carolina 0

Doubles (Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2*)
1. Hadley Berg/ Paige Cline (27), SC d. Brooke Austin/ Kourtney Keegan (15), UF 6-4
2. Anna Danilina/ Ingrid Neel (11), UF d. Caroline Dailey/ Mia Horvit, SC, 7-6 (5)*
3. Josie Kuhlman/ Belinda Woolcock (36), UF d. Brigit Folland/ Rachel Rohrabacher, SC, 6-4

Singles (Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2*)
1. Belinda Woolcock (19), UF vs. Mia Horvit (58), SC 4-6, 3-2 DNF
2. Ingrid Neel (14), UF d. Caroline Dailey, SC, 6-3, 6-4*
3. Anna Danilina (22), UF d. Silvia Chinellato, SC, 6-4, 6-1
4. Josie Kuhlman (12), UF vs. Paige Cline, SC, 6-2, 6-5 DNF
5. Brooke Austin (125), UF vs. Hadley Berg, SC, 7-5, 5-1 DNF
6. Kourtney Keegan (32), UF d. Brigit Folland, SC, 6-2, 6-3
Updated Records: Florida 12-0, 3-0 SEC; South Carolina 9-4, 1-2 SEC

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