GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Florida tennis will begin the 2024-25 season at the Kitty Harrison Invitational. The annual tournament is hosted by the Tar Heels and consists of eight teams. This year the field includes North Carolina, Duke, Virginia, Old Dominion, Purdue, Charlotte, and Penn State.
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The North Carolina-based tournament will stretch from Friday to Sunday with action beginning each day at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. During both the morning and afternoon sessions doubles will initiate play followed by singles. With weather cooperation, the matches will be played across 12 outdoor courts with additional matches on the Cone-Kenfield indoor courts at the Chewning Tennis Center.
Florida enters the fall season with five ranked singles players, headlined by top 10 player
Rachel Gailis. Gailis holds the No. 7 ranking after defeating seven nationally ranked players in the 2023-24 campaign. De Olivera reigns in at No. 29 after winning the 2023 ITA Regional Championship Title, followed by sophomore
Qavia Lopez at No. 61.
Alicia Dudeney is ranked at No. 103, and newcomer
Talia Neilson-Gatenby rounds out the rankings sitting at No. 122.
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Along with
Talia Neilson-Gatenby, the Gators welcomed freshmen
Nikola Daubnerova and
Noémie Oliveras. The three newbies come to Florida as some of the top junior players in the world. Head Coach
Roland Thornqvist sees a bright future for the 2024-25 roster and it all starts this weekend in Chapel Hill.
MATCH COVERAGE:
Full coverage of the Kitty Harrison Invitational can be found through these links:
Live Stream
Live Stats
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Admission to the matches is free and open to the public.
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Current ITA Rankings:
Preseason Singles Rankings
No. 7Â
Rachel Gailis
No. 29Â
Emily De Oliveira
No. 61Â
Qavia Lopez
No. 103Â
Alicia Dudeney
No. 122Â
Talia Neilson-Gatenby
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Preseason Doubles Rankings
No. 66Â
Talia Neilson-Gatenby andÂ
Qavia Lopez
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Preseason Newcomer Rankings
No. 8Â
Talia Neilson-Gatenby
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