Ida Jarlskog was outgunned on paper entering the match. She was taking on the singles draw’s top-seeded player in Vanderbilt’s Fernanda Contreras. The Swede immediately looked out of sorts after losing the first set 1-6.
Jarlskog, however, turned the match from a potential blowout to a chess match. Contreras took Jarlskog’s queen in the very beginning; Jarlskog would do the same with her 6-0 sweep of the second set.
The stalemate was finally decided in Contreras’ favor as she won three of the last four games to move on to the round of 16 in a hard-fought, back-and-forth 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 match.
McCartney Kessler also lost on Thursday, and the Gators were eliminated from the singles draw of the 2018 ITA Fall National Championships in Surprise, Arizona.
Kessler met No. 18 Kate Fahey of Michigan in the round of 16. Fahey dominated the match from the very beginning, sweeping the first set and winning the second set 6-3 to put Kessler away.
The other half of the Gators’ women’s tennis team will be competing in the Florida State All-Conference Showdown this weekend.
“We were playing catch-up for too long in those matches and it’s super difficult to beat players of that caliber that way,” coach Roland Thornqvist said in a release. “Clearly, both players have the talent required to compete for titles like this and with a little more experience, I think we have a chance to play on the last day.”
Men’s doubles team advances
Brian Berdusco and Johannes Ingildsen are heading to the quarterfinals in the doubles main draw at the National Fall Championships in Surprise, Arizona. The Gators duo defeated Florida State’s Alex Knaff and Sebastian Arcila in three sets 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 in the second round.
Brian Berdusco and Johannes Ingildsen took down South Alabama’s Loic Cloes and Clement Marzol in the first round of the doubles draw in three sets 7-6, 3-6, 10-6.
Andy Andrade fell in the second round of the singles main draw to bring his week to an end. The sophomore was defeated by the top overall seed Petros Chrysochos (Wake Forest) in three sets (2-6, 7-5, 3-6).
Ingildsen came out on top in the first round of the consolation bracket, taking down Alabama’s Patrick Kaukovalta 6-2, 7-5. Ingildsen’s next match will be against Tanner Smith of USC at 11:30 a.m. today. Vale won his first round consolation match against Oklahoma’s Van Emburgh by walkover and will face Majed Kilani (Tulsa) at 11:30 a.m.
“Joe [Johannes Ingildsen] did a nice job finishing his singles match today in straight sets,” coach Bryan Shelton said in a release. “Overall, we are learning with every match.”
Follow Brendan and Kyle on Twitter @Bfarrell727 and @Kkylewood or contact them at bfarrell@alligator.org and kwood@alligator.org.
Sophomore Ida Jarlskog nearly completed an improbable comeback Thursday. She lost to Vanderbilt's Fernanda Contreras, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in the round of 16 at the ITA Fall National Championships.
