UF's doubles team of Megan Alexander and Marrit Boonstra came up short against No. 3 Melissa Mang and Amanda Granson of Duke on Friday, ending their run at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.
No. 6 Alexander and Boonstra appeared poised to take the match and at one point led 5-3, just three sets away from victory. The Gators had a few chances to increase their lead in the next set but failed to pull it out.
"Once we didn't capitalize on those opportunities to take a 6-3 lead, we became passive," assistant head coach Dave Balogh said.
The Blue Devils used the Gators' passivity against them and stormed back for an 8-6 win. Conditioning could have been a factor, as both Gators participated in singles matches earlier in the week.
"That's a great Duke doubles team, one of the best in the country, and they were the more aggressive team today," Balogh said.
The Gators will take a few weeks off before competing in the ITA South Regionals in Athens, Ga., on Oct. 24.
