Gators Regroup After Slow Singles Start, Sweep Ole Miss

Friday, April 7

Gainesville, FL

5 PM

Florida Gators

Ole Miss

Ingrid Neel won on the doubles and singles courts.

Gators Regroup After Slow Singles Start, Sweep Ole Miss

Friday, April 7, 2017 | Women's Tennis

Final Scores (PDF)

Florida was very solid in doubles.

By: Kathy Cafazzo

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite a slight change in its doubles lineup, top-ranked Florida claimed the initial point of the dual match against Ole Miss en route to a 4-0 win at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex.

The final score, however, wasn't indicative of the competitiveness that took place on the singles courts. Both teams claimed first sets on three courts, with Florida needing to win a pair of three-setters.

The one match that didn't contain the excitement of the others was on court four, where Gator junior Anna Danilina kept her focus and fight from the first game, as she broke to begin the match and earned the 6-2, 6-1 victory in 59 minutes that gave Florida a 2-0 lead.

Danilina was off the court and stretching while courts one, three and five were still in their respective first sets and each heading to a tiebreak. Brooke Austin and Belinda Woolcock prevailed in their tiebreaks, while Josie Kuhlman dropped hers.

Of that Gator trio, Kuhlman was able to force a third set, as did Austin's match. Woolcock, however, carried that momentum of winning the breaker, 8-6, into her second set and got the first break in the third game and held for a 3-1 lead. She lost her serve in the sixth game, but broke right back and held for 5-3. She then won three of the next four points on the receiving end before finishing off the 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory in one hour and 45 minutes.

Senior Kourtney Keegan had dropped her first set 6-3, but owned the second, 6-1, holding at love in the final game. She began the third set break at love and was cruising in the third.

On court two, freshman Ingrid Neel also lost her opening set, 6-3, and the second was a battle that featured six breaks of serve, with Neel coming out on top to force a deciding third. The rookie lost her serve to start it and quickly went down 2-0. That's when she face a little adversity and found her focus, as she lost just one point in the next three games to take a 3-2 lead and get the match back on-serve. Both competitors held for the next couple games and Neel earned the final break in the eighth game before serving out for the clinching victory, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Keegan was receiving at 5-3 when her match was abandoned, while Austin was a 2-all in the third and Kuhlman was serving at 1-2.

Records:

Florida: 19-1, 9-1 SEC
Ole Miss: 13-9, 3-7 SEC

Double the Fun

The Gators won the doubles point for the 18th time this season.
UF flipped its doubles teams at the one and two spots and those were the two that finished first and provided the doubles point.
Anna Danilina and Ingrid Neel played the No. 1 spot for the second time this year and won, 6-2. The win was the team's sixth straight and improved to 8-1 in SEC matches.
Just one minute later, Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan polished off the doubles point with a 6-2 win on court two.
UF's three team of Josie Kuhlman and Belinda Woolcock was at 5-2 when play was abandoned.

Florida vs. Ole Miss: The Series

48-Match Series: UF leads 45-3 (UF at home: 20-0; Away: 17-2; Neutral: 8-1)
Last Year: The Gators claimed the 4-0 win in Oxford on March 18, 2016
Trend: UF has won the last 11 meetings vs. the Rebels, whose last win in the series was a 4-3 decision on March 27, 2009, in Oxford.

UF Head Coach Roland Thornqvist on Friday's win vs. Ole Miss:
"We played some really, really good doubles today. In singles, we flinched a little on a couple courts that perhaps extended the match.

"On the flip side of that, a couple of our players needed a three-setter. Overall, Ole Miss is a very talented team. They have players who fight and are good athletes at every spot and if you flinch just a little bit, they are going to make you pay and I think that's what happened today.

"On the other side of the coin, our freshman Ingrid (Neel) got smoked in the first set and found a way to get back into the match and those are things you can't teach. She's a gamer. She faced a little adversity in the second game of the third set but showed her focus after losing just one point in the next three games to get the match back on-serve. For a freshman, that's just outstanding."

Women's College Tennis
No. 26 Ole Miss at No. 1 Florida
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex * Gainesville, Fla.
Friday, April 07, 2017

Final: Florida 4, Ole Miss 0

Doubles (order of finish: 2, 1*)
1. #18 Anna Danilina / Ingrid Neel, UF d. #45 Alexa Bortles / Arianne Hartono, UM 6-2*
2. #16 Brooke Austin / Kourtney Keegan, UF d. Tea Jandric / Zalina Khairudinova, UM 6-2
3. #33 Josie Kuhlman / Belinda Woolcock, UF vs. Tereza Janatova / Natalie Suk, UM - UF led 5-2 DNF

Singles (order of finish: 4, 1, 2*)
1. #13 Belinda Woolcock, UF d. #40 Arianne Hartono, UM 7-6 (6), 6-3
2. #25 Ingrid Neel, UF d. #95 Natalie Suk, UM 3-6, 6-3, 6-3*
3. #12 Josie Kuhlman, UF vs. Zalina Khairudinova, UM 6-7 (4), 6-4, 1-2 UM led, on serve
4. #29 Anna Danilina, UF d. Tea Jandric, UM 6-2, 6-1
5. #106 Brooke Austin, UF vs Alexa Bortles, UM 7-6 (3), 4-6, 2-2 DNF
6. #37 Kourtney Keegan, UF vs Tereza Janatova, UM 3-6, 6-1, 5-3 UF led DNF
Records: UF 19-1, 9-1 SEC; Ole Miss 13-9, 3-7 SEC

What's Next for the Gators

Who: No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 1 Florida
When: Sun., April 9 * 1 p.m.
Where: Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex
Admission: FREE!
Live Online Video & Stats Link: http://bit.ly/2nmMaqY
Also of Note: Florida's three seniors – Kourtney Keegan, Spencer Liang and Belinda Woolcock – will be honored in a pre-match ceremony.