FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – As far as the Georgia women’s tennis team may be concerned, if it doesn’t play Florida again this season it would be just fine.
Georgia, which had lost to Florida 4-3 in Gainesville earlier this season, came close to losing again but instead took a 4-2 decision in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Women’s Tennis Championship at the University of Arkansas’ Billingsley Tennis Center.
“I thought we played well. Georgia was tough,” Florida coach Roland Thornqvist said. “We played very well in doubles and had to dig deep. We ran out of juice in the end. I thought Chelsey (Gullickson) played a great third set. You have to tip your hat to Georgia. They played well.”
It was Gullickson’s 6-2, 5-7, 6-0 victory over No. 7 Marrit Boonstra of Florida that ended the Gators’ upset hopes and sent Georgia into Sunday’s championship against Tennessee, which beat Mississippi, 4-1.
The Gators (14-9) took the doubles point, forcing Georgia (22-2) to rally for the victory. The No. 1 doubles team of Boonstra and Jo Mather scored an 8-3 victory over Georgia’s Gullickson and Nadia Gilchrist. Florida also won at No. 2 doubles as Jessica Alexander and Anastasia Revzina beat Yvette Hyndman and Monika Dancevic, 8-3.
The Lady Dawgs came back to tie the match at 1-1 with a victory at No. 6 singles. Revzina then gave Florida a 2-1 lead with her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Hyndman at No. 2 singles.
But Georgia won singles victories at, in order, Nos. 3, 5 and 1 to clinch the match, negating any chance of a Florida victory, which might have been possible since No. 4 singles player Jessica Alexander led her match with Dancevic 2-0 in the third set when play was halted.
Florida now waits to learn its seeding in the 64-team NCAA Championship field. That news will be revealed Tuesday on ESPNews.
SEC WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
At Billingsley Tennis Center, Fayetteville, Ark.
SATURDAY’S SEMIFINALS
(1) GEORGIA 4, (4) FLORIDA 2
DOUBLES
1. (43) Marrit Boonstra/Jo Mather (UF) def. (12) Chelsey Gullickson/Nadja Gilchrist, 8-3.
2. (29) Jessica Alexander/Anastasia Revzina def. Yvette Hyndman/Monika Dancevic, 8-3.
3. Naoko Ueshima/Cameron Ellis (UG) def. Brooke Allen/Barbara Pinterova, 8-0.
Florida wins doubles point, 2-1.
SINGLES
1. (12) Chelsea Gullickson (UG) def. (7) Marrit Boonstra, 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.
2. (47) Anastasia Revzina (UF) def. (49) Yvette Hyndman, 6-1, 6-1.
3. (55) Nadja Gilchrist (UG) def. Jo Mather, 6-0, 6-4.
4. Jessica Alexander (UF) def. (85) Monika Dancevic, 4-6, 7-6, 2-0, DNF.
5. Naoko Ueshima (UG) def. Barbara Pinterova, 6-0, 6-1.
6. Cameron Ellis (UG) def. Brooke Allen, 6-1, 6-0.
(3) TENNESSEE 4, (7) MISSISSIPPI 1
DOUBLES
1. (25) Kristi Boxx/Karen Nijssen (UM) vs. (20) Caitlin Whoriskey/Natalie Pluskota (UT), 7-6, DNF.
2. Rosalia Alda/Zsofia Zubor (UT) def. Abigail Guthrie/Gabriela Rangela, 8-2
3. Maria Sorbello/Jennifer Meredith (UT) def. Laura van de Stroet/Mimi Renaudin, 8-5.
Tennessee won doubles point, 2-0.
SINGLES
1. (45) Caitlin Whoriskey (UT) def. (33) Kristi Box, 6-1, 6-2.
2. (69) Karen Nijssen (UM) def. (117) Natalie Pluskota, 7-5, 7-5.
3. Samantha Orlin (UT) def. Laura van de Stroet, 6-3, 6-3.
4. Jennifer Meredith (UT) vs. Abigail Guthrie (UM), 4-6, 6-0, 5-4, DNF.
5. Gabriela Rangel (UM) vs. Rosalia Alda (UT), 6-4, 4-6, 5-2, DNF.
6. Maria Sorbello (UT) vs. Mimi Renaudin (UM), 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
SUNDAY’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1 p.m.: (1) Georgia vs. (3) Tennessee