The No. 9 Florida men’s tennis team swept the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on Sunday 7-0 to give coach Bryan Shelton his 100th win at UF.
The Gators (14-8, 8-3 SEC) came out in doubles with an intensity that was missing in their loss to Texas A&M on Friday.
On Court 1, the No. 5-ranked duo of junior Alfredo Perez and Johannes Ingildsen got back into the win column with a 6-2 victory after losing its last four doubles matches.
Florida’s two remaining doubles matches against the Tigers (8-14, 1-9 SEC) on Courts 2 and 3 both went into 10-point tiebreakers.
On Court 3, the No. 12-ranked doubles team of freshman Oliver Crawford and senior Chase Perez-Blanco won its fifth consecutive doubles match that reached a decision, 7-6.
Freshman Duarte Vale and junior McClain Kessler struggled on Court 2. For the second straight match, the pair blew a 4-1 lead. However, the doubles contest ended before a result could be found.
UF carried its momentum into singles play.
Kessler won 6-1, 6-2 on Court 6 over LSU’s freshman Stewart Block to give Florida its second point of the contest. Even with his absence in the match against Texas A&M, Kessler looked to be in solid form. The junior has won three of the last four matches he has played.
Crawford, who lost his last singles match to snap a 12-match win streak, returned to his usual self on Court 2 with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tigers’ sophomore Rafael Wagner. This was the freshman’s 10th SEC win in singles this season and first career win on Court 2.
On Court 5, freshman Andy Andrade won his second match in a row to secure it for the Gators. His 6-4, 6-1 win over LSU’s sophomore Agie Moreno was the fourth time Andrade clinched the match for his team this season.
The remaining matches on Courts 1, 3 and 4 were played out after the contest was clinched for UF.
On Court 4, Perez-Blanco rebounded from his loss to Texas A&M with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 win over Tigers’ sophomore Julian Saborio.
Ingildsen and Perez both won in straight sets on Courts 1 and 3, respectively. The wins snapped a three-match losing streak for Ingildsen and a four-match losing streak for Perez.
UF’s victory handed LSU its ninth straight loss, and the Gators have now won six straight matches they have played against the Tigers dating back to the 2012-13 season.
After the victory, Shelton attributed his 100th win at Florida to those around him.
“I don't hit a single ball in these matches so the players are the ones that should get the credit,” Shelton said in a release. “I've been fortunate to work alongside some great coaches.”
Florida will have some time to rest before coming home on Friday for Senior Day against Alabama. First serves are set for 5 p.m.
Follow Dylan Rudolph on Twitter @dyrudolph and contact him at drudolph@alligator.org.
Bryan Shelton was modest after earning his 100th career win as Florida's coach. “I don't hit a single ball in these matches so the players are the ones that should get the credit,” he said.
