Given that Florida women's tennis coach Roland Thornqvist was concerned about the effects of a three-week layoff before the NCAA Tournament, a six-hour rain delay Saturday couldn't have been a welcome sight.
Yet Florida shook off the rust of waiting and cruised past overmatched South Carolina State 4-0 in the first round at the Ring Tennis Complex.
"The first five, 10 minutes of doubles the balls were whizzing by our heads," Thornqvist said. "I don't think we were ready for it. I think we finally settled down and ultimately played pretty well.
"Rust, or whatever you want to call it, but clearly that comes with a three-week layoff."
Florida, the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament, advances to play Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina, which rallied to defeat Arizona 4-2 after the long rain delay.
Weather was a factor all day, as Florida and South Carolina State also had a 10-minute delay of their own.
"It was pretty annoying, because you have to go and come back," UF sophomore Lauren Embree said of waiting all day for the courts to dry. "We weren't really distracted by it. We were just a little bored. But it was fine."
After they found their rhythm and took the doubles point, the Gators went ahead 2-0 in the overall match when South Carolina State's No. 1 singles player, Suhaila Jad, retired with a left foot injury, giving the default victory to UF sophomore Allie Will.
Embree, who was held out of doubles to rest her surgically repaired left wrist, won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
"Coach just told us we needed to do our business and get off the court," Embree said, "so I feel like everyone did that and everyone played well."
Sophomore Caroline Hitimana clinched the match for Florida with a 6-0, 6-0 win as well, saying afterward she felt tired, as though she had played a much longer match.
"It seems like it was a really long day," Hitimana said.
For Thornqvist, the simple task of advancing was accomplished.
"In singles we had a few matchups there that I thought we were clearly better, and those were the ones that we were able to finish off," he said. "I was happy to see the total match duration — although it was a long day — was not bad."
Thornqvist and his Gators now turn their attention to playing the Gamecocks at 2 p.m. Sunday.
"South Carolina is a good team," he said. "We played them twice already this past month and they gave us a tough time both times. So we have to be absolutely ready."
