After losing 4-3 on the road to then-No. 14 Vanderbilt, the No. 18 Florida men’s tennis team was not only ready to be back on its home turf but also ready for some revenge against the team that ended its 2014 season in No. 10 Ohio State.
The Gators and the Buckeyes last met in the 2014 NCAA Round of 16, where Ohio State ended Florida’s season and its road to a National Championship in an upset loss 4-3.
"We had a great match with them in the NCAA Tournament in Athens (Georgia) and it came down to the wire. It was exciting. We came up a point shy of winning, so we certainly kind of look back at that," coach Bryan Shelton said. "But more than anything, just saw that in order to beat a team like Ohio State you’ve got to walk out on the court with confidence and you’ve got to be able to execute under pressure for a long amount of time."
But UF (6-5) couldn’t seal the deal, losing 4-1 to the Buckeyes (13-4) at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Doubles duo Oliver Landert and Joshua Wardell hoped to set the pace after defeating Ohio State’s doubles pair of Chris Diaz and Hunter Callahan 6-3, but Florida’s two remaining courts lost their matches to give Ohio State the doubles point.
"When the pressure was at its greatest, those guys played their best tennis," Shelton said of Landert and Wardell. "So I can’t say that they did that in the last couple matches that they’ve played together, but certainly today they stepped up to the plate for us."
As the first set of singles went into action, so did the Gators.
Florida shifted into high gear to start singles, winning the first set on three courts while putting up a fight on the other three.
But after the strong start, the walls started to crumble for the Gators.
Florida dropped three singles matches after freshman Chase Perez-Blanco brought in the lone point for Florida.
The true freshman, who has yet to drop a match in Southeastern Conference play, has posted a point for the Gators in four of UF’s last five matches and has proven that he is deserving of a spot in the starting lineup.
"I think Chase Perez-Blanco just continues to grow and get better. He talked today just about what a privilege it is to play for the University of Florida and how much it means to him and how much he’s realized through the season that he’s more and more thankful every day that he’s here," Shelton said. "He just really shared that with the team and I think he really gets it. He’s willing to do what it takes to be successful and so it’s fun to see the growth in him and the confidence growing daily."
The Gators come back on the court against Mississippi State on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Follo Caylee Underwood on Twitter @CayUnderwood
Coach Bryan Shelton talks with sophomores Elliott Orkin and Maxx Lipman during Florida's 9-3 win against William & Mary on Jan. 10 at the Ring Tennis Complex.
