The second-ranked Florida women’s tennis team knocked off No. 6 Duke for the second time this week and advanced to the final of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships. On Sunday, the Gators defeated the Blue Devils, 4-1, at the Boar’s Head Sports Club to reach the title match for the first time since 2003.
“This was another classic battle between Florida and Duke,” UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “I’m very proud of our performance. In doubles, we were absolutely fantastic. Our freshmen were really tough at the bottom of our lineup. Duke has world-class players at the bottom of its lineup and today the Gators were better and I was very impressive by that. We’re real excited to be in the finals tomorrow.”
Florida meets top-ranked Stanford in Monday’s championship match beginning at 11 a.m. The Cardinal defeated fourth-ranked North Carolina, 4-0, in its semifinal bout.
Stanford leads the all-time series against Florida, 15-11, including last year’s 4-3 Gator heartbreaker in the NCAA Team Final. Florida, however, holds a 7-2 advantage in the series when played at the National Team Indoor Championships.
On Sunday, Florida (10-0) was impressive early and captured the doubles point with wins on courts Nos. 1 and 3. Sofie Oyen (Leopoldsburg, Belgium) and Allie Will (Boca Raton, Fla.) got things started with their 8-3 victory against Ellah Nze and Monica Gorny. The freshmen pair of Alex Cercone (Seminole, Fla.) and Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, Fla.) then posted an 8-2 decision against Reka Zsilinszka and Elizabeth Plotkin to clinch the win and give the Gators a 1-0 lead in the team scoring.
The rookie tandem raced out and won the first seven games before capturing its third victory in as many days.
UF’s No. 2 doubles team of Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) and Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) seemed to be coming out on the short end of their match, before staging a brilliant rally, as they fought back from a 5-1 deficit for a 6-5 lead against Nadine Fahoum and Hanna Mar when play was abandoned after Florida secured the doubles point.
Will proved again to be too tough for Duke’s 38th-ranked Fahoum, as the seventh-ranked Gator sophomore gave Florida a 2-0 after her 6-0, 6-2 victory on court No. 1. The win was Will’s third in as many days at the top singles position, as she improved her career dual match record to 35-1.
Florida seemed to be well on its way to a quick route of Duke, winning the first set on four of the courts, including Will’s. The Blue Devils fought back, however, and tightened the match.
Mather stepped up and provided the second singles victory of the day, as she defeated Ellah Nze, 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 3 position. Mather found herself down 3-1 in the second set and finally earned a break in the 10th game and held for 6-5, before earning another break to seal the straight-set win and give Florida a 3-0 lead.
Oyen battled back in her No. 4 singles match against Duke senior Elizabeth Plotkin, as the Gator freshman forced a third set after falling behind in the second after losing the first. She wasn’t able to complete the full comeback and lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, as the Blue Devils closed the deficit to 3-1.
That’s when Cercone, one of three freshmen in UF’s singles lineup, stepped up and earned a huge break in the second set that was on-serve entering the 12-th game and defeated Mary Clayton, 6-3, 7-5, clinching the dual match victory.
Florida handed Duke (8-2) its only other dual match loss, taking the 4-2 victory in Durham on Feb. 13.
The Gators are 44-10 all-time at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, including the three victories over the last three days. Florida has won the National Indoor title six times, with the last championship coming in 1999.
No. 6 Duke vs. No. 2 Florida
ITA National Team Indoor Championships Semifinals
Boar’s Head Sports Club
Charlottesville, Va.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Final Score: Florida 4, Duke 1
Doubles
1. #1 Sofie Oyen/Allie Will, UF d. Ellah Nze/Monica Gorny, DU, 8-3
2. #30 Lauren Embree/Joanna Mather, UF led Nadine Fahoum/Hanna Mar, DU, 6-5 DNF
3. Alex Cercone/Olivia Janowicz, UF d. Reka Zsilinszka/Elizabeth Plotkin, DU, 8-2*
Order of Finish: 1, 3*
Singles
1. #7 Allie Will, UF d. #38 Nadine Fahoum, DU, 6-0, 6-2
2. #36 Lauren Embree, UF vs. #9 Reka Zsilinszka, DU, 5-7, 6-1 DNF
3. #19 Joanna Mather, UF d. #48 Ellah Nze, DU, 6-2, 7-5
4. #86 Elizabeth Plotkin, DU d. Sofie Oyen, UF, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
5. #57 Rachel Kahan, DU led #31 Olivia Janowicz, UF, 3-6, 6-2, 4-3 DNF
6. #40 Alex Cercone, UF d. #42 Mary Clayton, DU, 6-3, 7-5*
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 4, 6*
