Head coach Roland Thornqvist isn’t the only one with high hopes for his team this season.
The Gators were selected as most likely to win the Southeastern Conference Championship this season in a preseason poll voted on by the women’s tennis head coach at each institution in the SEC on Friday. Florida received 191 points, only 7 more than second place Georgia with 184 points.
Last season the Gators finished with a 26-3 record, including a 12-1 SEC mark. They also won a share of the SEC regular season title for the fourth consecutive season.
Also on Friday, seniors Olivia Janowicz and Sofie Oyen and freshman Kourtney Keegan began their play at the 12th annual Freeman Memorial Tennis Championships held at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on the UNLV campus, a very competitive three-day tournament.
Keegan and Oyen teamed up to take on North Carolina’s Tessa Lyons and Laura Slater In first round doubles. In singles play, No. 17 Janowicz takes on Alyssa Smith (Duke), No. 27 Oyen faces Catherine Harrison (UCLA), and No. 39 Keegan squares off against Kamelia Dimitrova (UNLV).
Friday was the first time the ladies experiment with the ITA’s new scoring rules, which includes a 6-point doubles match and a singles tiebreaker instead of a second set.
On the Men’s side, Friday began play at the Illini Open in Fort Myers. On Day 1 of the match, the Gators were perfect in doubles play but struggled in singles, where they finished the day 3-3.
Diego Hidalgo and Spencer Newman, both eligible for the spring after sitting out the fall, were among Elliott Orkin and Gordon Watson, ranked 13th nationally in doubles, and Stephane Piro and Mike Alford, who will advance to Saturday for more doubles play.
“Our guys came out strong this morning and played doubles at a high level considering the new format and it being the first competitive doubles situation this spring”, coach Bryan Shelton said.
On the singes court, Newman, Watson, and Maxx Lipman all won their respective matches.
“We definitely didn't play our best in singles, but that is why we are here this weekend,” Shelton said.
Play will resume Saturday at 10 a.m. with doubles followed by singles.
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UF women's tennis coach Roland Thornqvist and the Gators were predicted to win the Southeastern Conference by the other SEC coaches.
