“Stronger. Faster. Fitter.”
If you ask women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist what his team’s been working on for the upcoming regionals tournament, he will tell you just that, and then add some tennis, “... and hitting the ball better.”
With two tournaments complete and one scheduled for Friday, the Gators are four weeks into fall season.
All eight players will compete in the USTA/ITA Southeast Regionals at Georgia Tech.
“By the time we roll up there, we’ll be playing our best tennis in the fall,” Thornqvist said.
The 14-year coach said the team’s work ethic is unparalleled even with previous national championship teams.
“Their attitudes and willingness to learn is fantastic,” he said.
Thornqvist said the team has all the ingredients to improve, but there is much improvement to be done.
After recently returning from the 2014 Bedford Cup over the weekend, the coach said Miami had a great showing at the tournament and will also be at regionals Friday.
Canes freshman Sinead Lohan won two titles after defeating freshman Peggy Porter, 6-2, 6-4.
In doubles, Miami tandem Lohan and Wendy Zhang defeated Belinda Woolcock and Stefani Stojic, 8-6.
Porter finished furthest in the weekend tournament but fell short.
“If you ask Peggy, she’s not happy,” Thornqvist said. “She wanted to bring the trophy home to Gainesville.”
Freshman often have overeagerness that gets in the way of playing, he said.
Porter suffered from the freshman flaw, but is growing out of it.
“The want to do so well that they get in their own way… It’s going to happen sooner rather than later (for Porter),” Thornqvist said.
He said she will be an important player for the Gators come spring.
As far as Spencer Liang, Thornqvist said he’s “not concerned with Spencer winning or losing.”
After dropping her first match at the 2014 Bedford Cup on Friday, the sophomore made it through the main draw of consolation singles until defeat from Central Florida’s Caroline Eberhart, 7-6, 6-3.
She is fast and smart on the court but needs learn to hold onto the ball, Thornqvist said.
Freshman Brooke Austin making semifinals in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships is the team’s highlight of the season so far.
“Tennis was moving 100 miles an hour in her mind,” Thornqvist said of Austin during the tournament.
“Brooke’s confidence is one of the reasons she’s at Florida, and one of the reasons she’s the best freshman in the country,” he said.
Thornqvist said the Indiana native’s confidence and openness to learn is a deadly combination.
With the team overall, Thornqvist said the chemistry has been unparalleled.
“So far, it’s been a fabulous first two months,” he said.
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Coach Roland Thornqvist looks down the courts of the Ring Tennis Complex during Florida's 4-0 win against Louisville on Aug. 25.
