Playing on the road is a tough challenge, but with the weight of conference pride on its shoulders, the Florida Gators men’s tennis team took on the Big 12 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this weekend in Waco, Texas.
Four Gators made the trip: sophomores Kevin Edengren and Henry Jefferson, redshirt senior JanMagnus Johnson, and junior Tanapatt Nirundorn. The event featured five teams from both the Big 12 and the SEC, with the scoring system awarding one point for every victory.
Entering Friday’s matches, the Gators faced high expectations across the board. Jefferson and Nirundorn faced Arizona seniors Iñaki Cabrera-Bello and Caser Christensen, while Johnson and Edengren squared off against freshmen Zoran Ludoski and Filip Gustafsson, also from Arizona.
Alongside the doubles matches, Florida remained active in singles play as well. Nirundorn went head-to-head with No. 100 sophomore Derek Pham from Oklahoma State, while Johnson took on OSU junior Alessio Basile.
The Gators faced numerous setbacks early on, as three of their first four matches ended in defeat.The lone bright spot came from Jefferson’s victory over OSU freshman Thomas Gadecki.
On Saturday, the Gators were able to build some positive momentum, starting with Johnson and Edengren claiming victory against the Baylor duo of sophomore Louis Bowden and junior Quintan Van Wijk. The UF pairing came out victorious 8-7 in a closely contested match. In singles play, Johnson, Edengren and Jefferson each secured wins against their respective opponents.
Heading to the final day of competition, the Gators had tallied a record of 4-6, contributing four points to the SEC’s point total.
On day three, Nirundorn and Jefferson notched their first tournament win together, defeating the No. 7 ranked pair of Texas Tech seniors Sebastian Abboud and Piotr Pawlak . In singles, Edengren and Jefferson each earned their second victory of the event.
In the end, the Big 12 triumphed over the SEC, finishing with a 47-43 point count advantage The Gators played a vital role, contributing eight points to the SEC's effort.
The Gators will next compete at the ITA Regional Championships in Orlando, Florida. The six day event is scheduled for Oct. 10-15.
Contact Carston Handy at chandy@alligator.org. Follow Carston on X @carston_handy.
Carston Handy is a junior journalism major with a focus in sports and media. Fall 2024 marks his first semester reporting sports with the Alligator. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his fiancé and their dog. He also enjoys playing a bunch of sports, including pickleball, basketball and soccer.
