The University of Florida’s Sofie Oyen (Leopoldsburg, Belgium) and Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) continued their strong doubles run at the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships and earned a spot in Sunday’s final after netting another upset victory at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
The 18th-ranked Gator pair defeated Alabama’s second-ranked team of Alexa Guarachi and Courtney McLane, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to reach the title match, where Oyen and Will take on Clemson’s third-seeded and fifth-ranked Josipa Bek and Keri Wong beginning at 9 a.m.
“I thought we played great doubles,” UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “We really didn’t give Alabama a chance in the first set. Sofie had some blistering returns and pressured them every time they served. In the second set, we had two set points against us, but were able to fight off both with offensive put-aways. I think we’re playing at a very high level.”
Oyen, a freshman, and Will, a sophomore, have compiled a 10-1 record together, having won their last 10 matches entering Sunday’s showdown. The Gators’ lone loss was a season-opening setback to the same Clemson duo they will face for the indoor championship. Bek and Wong captured the 8-6 decision on Oct. 7 in the first round of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.
Oyen and Will are aiming to become the third different Gator tandem to win the USTA-ITA National Indoor Championships doubles title, looking to join the teams of Nicole Arendt and Jillian Alexander, which won the 1991 crown, and Dawn Buth and Stephanie NIckitas, which captured the 1996 championship.
Will attempted to also reach the singles final, but fell short on Saturday, when she dropped a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 setback to Southern California’s third-ranked Maria Sanchez in the semifinals.
“Allie played very well and ran out of gas a little bit, but that’s not taking anything away from Maria, who played exceptional tennis,” Thornqvist continued. “She put the pressure on us the entire match. Allie played a lot of long matches here and I think they got to her legs a little. She wasn’t able to return some of those pressuring backhands from Maria in the third set. I’m very proud of Allie’s effort. She has improved a lot. Her indoor tennis is a lot better than it was last year and it’s because of all her work with her backhand, which has improved so much. She’s disappointed now, but still will have a chance to take home a championship in doubles.”
This is the final event of the fall tennis season.
USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
Hosted by Columbia University
USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Flushing, NY
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Singles, Semifinals
(3) Maria Sanchez, Southern California d. (5) Allie Will, UF, 7-5, 4-6, 6-0
Doubles, Semifinals
(18) Sofie Oyen/Allie Will, UF d. (2) Alexz Guarachi/Courtney McLane, Alabama, 6-3, 7-6 (6)
