The Gators men’s tennis team’s match on Friday night against Alabama was supposed to be a challenge. Alabama is a top-30 team and Florida was coming off its biggest win of the season Sunday against then-No.7 Texas A&M, and it seemed like UF might lose.
It did not.
The Gators (18-2, 10-0 SEC) dominated the Crimson Tide (13-9, 3-7 SEC), beating it 7-0 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Florida has won 12 in a row and off to its best start in SEC play since 2005, when it started 11-0. That year was also the last time UF won the SEC regular season championship.
Florida can now clinch the SEC regular-season title on Sunday when it visits Auburn. Even if the Gators can’t defeat the Tigers, they can still take the crown with a win on April 14 when they play South Carolina at home.
Despite the success it has had so far, UF has struggled in doubles. Coach Bryan Shelton made a change to doubles pairings in hopes of more success.
And it worked.
Despite senior McClain Kessler and junior Johannes Ingildsen falling on Court 1, 6-3, to Alabama’s top doubles duo, No. 28 Mazen Osama and Patrick Kaukovalta, Florida recovered. Sophomore Oliver Crawford and senior Alfredo Perez won 6-1 on Court 2, and freshman Sam Riffice and sophomore Duarte Vale won on Court 3, 6-3, to clinch the doubles point.
In singles, it was more of the same for the Gators. Florida took the opening set on five of six courts. The only court it didn’t take the first set was on Court 1 where No. 14 Crawford was battling No. 48 Osama. Osama took the first set 7-5.
UF went ahead 2-0 after Vale defeated Riccardo Roberto in dominating fashion on Court 4, beating him 6-1, 6-0. No. 89, defending SEC Athlete of the Week, Ingildsen then made it 3-0 with a straight-set, 6-2, 6-2 win on Court 2.
Then, Perez clinched for the match for first time this season as he was in the lineup for the first time since March 3. He played instead on Riffice. Perez won on Court 6 defeating Jeremy Gschwendtner 6-3, 6-3.
The dominance of the Gators didn’t stop even though the last three matches all went to three sets.
Freshman Lukas Greif won 6-3, 2-6 and 10-6 in the 10-point tiebreaker. Sophomore No. 43 Andy Andrade won in three sets on Court 3, 6-3, 2-6 and 7-6 (7-3) in a third-set tiebreaker. Finally, Crawford recovered from his slow start to defeat Osama, 5-7, 6-4 and 1-0 (10-8), winning the 10-point tiebreaker as well to give the Gators the win.
Follow Noah Ram on Twitter @noah_ram1 and contact him at nram@alligator.org.
Sophomore Oliver Crawford (pictured) and his double partner, senior Alfredo Perez won 6-1 in Florida's win over Alabama on Friday.
Noah is a third year journalism-sports and media student from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He has been with The Alligator since Spring 2019 and has covered men’s and women’s tennis, gymnastics and volleyball. When he isn’t on his beat, Noah is usually sadden over his beloved South Florida sports teams, such as the Heat and Dolphins.
