The Florida men’s tennis team was one player shy of its usual squad during Thursday afternoon’s practice. Freshman Duarte Vale was busy competing in the second round of the City of Sunrise Pro Tennis Classic while the rest of his teammates were in Gainesville preparing for their home opener against UCF on Monday.
Vale and freshman Oliver Crawford were the only Gators to qualify for the tournament’s main draw in Sunrise, where Crawford fell to No. 7 seed Fred Gil 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round on Wednesday.
As the only UF player remaining, Vale faced No. 3 seed Gonzalo Escobar in the second round on Thursday. He lost the match in three sets after holding an early lead. A final score of 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) sent the tournament’s final Gator home.
Now, the team’s focus is on Monday when Florida opens its dual-match season as the No. 9-ranked team in the nation. But coach Bryan Shelton isn’t taking unranked UCF lightly.
“We know UCF is a really good team this year,” Shelton said. “So we know we will be pushed. I am looking forward to seeing how our guys respond.”
UF’s roster is full of talent this year. Three of its players hold ITA singles rankings in the top 40 and four doubles pairs landed rankings in the top 15.
Earlier this month, Shelton sat his team down to talk about its goals for the spring. His players said they have their eyes set on not just an SEC title, but the first national championship in program history. Shelton’s focus is on the present for now, however.
“We’ve got to just think about how we can get better today,” he said.
Follow Benjamin Brandt on Twitter @bhb1227 and contact him at bbrandt@alligator.org.
Florida men’s tennis coach Bryan Shelton has shifted his focus to UF’s home opener against UCF on Monday following freshman Duarte Vale’s exit from the City of Sunrise Pro Tennis Classic. “We know UCF is a really good team this year,” he said.
