With the doubles point on the line, Brooke Austin ran up the court, turned her arm and swung.
The ball tipped the net and hung in the air before bouncing on Ohio State’s court to give Florida the doubles point. It was the end of a trying opening for the Gators, but things got easier from there.
In a match between the top two teams in the country, Florida and Ohio State played in lockstep before the Gators broke away in singles play to win 4-1 on Tuesday in Orlando.
The Gators started slow in doubles play. Belinda Woolcock and Josie Kuhlman took the first set for Florida, winning 6-3.
The other two courts had to battle.
Austin and Kourtney Keegan won their match against Ohio State’s Francesca Di Lorenzo and Anna Sanford 7-5 to give the Gators the lead, while Court 2 was tied at five.
UF coach Roland Thornqvist attributed Florida’s sluggish start to nerves. He said the windy conditions and the fact that ESPN was covering the game may have distracted the Gators in the beginning.
However, Florida came alive in singles play. With dominant performances from Ingrid Neel, Anna Danilina and Keegan, the Buckeyes struggled to keep up. Neel was first off the court for the Gators, beating Gabriella De Santis 6-2, 6-3. Danilina then put Florida up 3-0 after besting Sanford in the second set, winning 6-2, 7-5.
Ohio State’s only point came courtesy of Di Lorenzo. The No. 1 player in the nation lived up to her billing as she dominated Woolcock 6-3, 6-1.
But Keegan put the match away for the Gators with a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win over Ferny Angeles Paz.
Thornqvist said the Gators played well on both sides of the ball, which was the underlying factor that gave Florida the win.
“That makes a difference when you can hold on the ball, but also show a little bit of offense, too,” he said. “On a few of these courts in singles, I thought we were the only team coming in, and maybe that was the difference.”
With the win, the Gators improved to 13-0 with 10 of those wins against top-25 competition. It was the second time this season that Florida has been involved in a match featuring the top two teams in the country. The first came at the National Indoor Championships when Florida defeated then-No. 2 North Carolina.
Thornqvist said a lot of the Gators’ success comes from the camaraderie and mindset of the team. He thinks its “Florida-first” mentality has carried it far this season.
“They’re in the locker room and they play for each other and they play for the shirt. No egos,” he said. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put something greater than yourself first.”
A television broadcast contributed to this report.
Contact Spencer Thompson at sthompson@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @spencemthompson.
UF's Brooke Austin hits a backhand during Florida's 4-2 win against Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, 2017, at the Ring Tennis Complex.
