As the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships begins today at the Ring Tennis Complex, Florida women’s tennis coach Roland Thornqvist can’t help but kick himself a little.
Although the Gators have their only multi-day home-court advantage of the fall season for the four-day event, the competitive qualifier will be just the second time the defending national champions gain match experience since returning to Gainesville in August.
“I pulled us out of an event in September, which in retrospect we probably should have kept,” Thornqvist said. “But you live and learn, right? I’m pretty sure next year at this point we’re going to have another event in us. I think that’s been our biggest hurdle so far, us not being match-tough enough, and next year we’ll rectify that.”
For now, Thornqvist has plenty of confidence in his team, as six Gators compete against a field that includes players from 16 schools in Florida and Georgia, including Miami, Florida State and Georgia.
The draw of 64 will be competing to earn qualifying spots as one of two singles finalists or the doubles champion pair that will advance to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships in Flushing, N.Y., on Nov. 3.
Florida's Lauren Embree is the top-seeded player in the singles draw, while former NCAA champion Chelsey Gullickson of Georgia is the second seed.
“The field is very, very tough,” Thornqvist said.
Although Embree, who sits at No. 5 in the ITA preseason rankings, will lead the Gators in singles play, the junior won’t be on the court for any doubles matches. Embree and senior Joanna Mather already earned trips to New York with their consolation-round doubles win in the season’s first grand slam, the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.
Senior Allie Will also received an automatic bid that weekend with her singles grand slam title and in doubles with her runner-up finish with sophomore Sofie Oyen. Will won’t be on the sidelines cheering her teammates on this weekend, however, as she continues her pro circuit play at an event in Puerto Rico.
The rest of Florida’s squad will see familiar faces from their time in California, along with top competitors from schools the Gators haven’t seen yet, like Georgia Tech and South Florida.
With that element of surprise worked into the four days of multiple matches ahead, Thornqvist can only ask his players to stay on their toes.
“You always have one or two surprises in these events,” Thornqvist said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if we see one or two this week. … You have to both play well and be fit to make it.”
