The UF men’s tennis team has made it to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.
However, it will also meet the defending champions, Virginia, in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year.
Last season, Florida struggled mightily against the Cavaliers in a 4-0 loss that ended its postseason run. But with a fresh slate in 2017, the No. 15 Gators are hoping to get off to a quick start when the match begins at 9 a.m. today.
“The first and most important thing is to come out punching early,” coach Bryan Shelton said. “I think in doubles, it’s really important for us to establish an aggressive mindset and really feel like we’re taking it to them early.”
If the Gators can get the ball rolling in doubles, they should be able to improve on the 5-2 defeat they suffered against Virginia earlier this season.
When it faced UVA in February, Florida had a drastically different set of doubles pairs than it does now.
The two spot saw junior Chase Perez-Blanco paired with senior Maxx Lipman, while senior Elliott Orkin and sophomore McClain Kessler were stationed at three.
Now, Florida has paired up the seniors, Lipman and Orkin, at two and dropped the talented Perez-Blanco down to three, where he plays alongside the experienced redshirt junior Joshua Wardell.
Prior to making the changes at doubles, UF was 5-5 in capturing the doubles point and was only able to convert once in doubles against a ranked opponent (Oklahoma). Since switching to its current lineup, Florida is 12-6 in doubles play and even captured the point against No. 3 Ohio State.
The Gators also come into today’s match with exceptional play coming from Perez-Blanco in singles. The junior earned victories in both of Florida’s opening NCAA Tournament matches and hasn’t dropped a set in the process.
Big play from Perez-Blanco has often meant big wins for the Gators, as they are 12-6 this year when the Miami native wins and 3-6 when he suffers a loss.
“He’s just an incredible player and he can do so many good things out on the court,” Shelton said. “Our record shows that he’s a key piece to the puzzle for us.”
However, contributions from all around the court will be necessary for Florida to knock-off the defending champs.
“I think our guys are really fit right now, and I think that’s going to be a factor in this match against a very good team,” Shelton said. “We’ve got to be able to go the distance.”
Contact Mark Stine at mstine@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @mstinejr.
Senior Chase Perez-Blanco played the last regular-season match of his Gators career in UF's 7-0 victory over Alabama on Friday. “I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It’s just been the best four years.”
