Newcomers Claire Bartlett, Allie Will and Lauren Embree all made impressions for the Florida women’s tennis team over the weekend in the Gator Fall Classic that concluded Sunday at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Bartlett, a sophomore from Chattanooga, Tenn., and Will, a freshman from Boca Raton, each won three singles matches over the weekend. Bartlett stunned Mississippi’s Laura van de Stroet, 6-1, 7-5 on Sunday while Will upset No. 49 Karen Nijssen of Miami, 6-0, 6-3.
Freshman Lauren Embree of Marco Island surprised her second straight nationally ranked opponent in as many days. She knocked off No. 25 Kristi Boxx of Miami, 6-3, 6-2. A day earlier, Embree took out South Florida’s No. 50-ranked Irene Rehberger, 6-1, 7-6 (4). Embree also was 3-0 in doubles, playing her final two matches with Will and blanking both teams.
Sophomore Jessica Alexander of Dallas won both of her singles matches and all three doubles contests she played in during the weekend. Alexander beat Mississippi’s Soledad Podipnik, 6-4, 6-2, on Sunday.
“We found out how tough we are and we learned a lot about our team chemistry and that people are helping each other out. Half of team wasn’t feeling well, but still did an excellent job of competing,” Florida head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “I’ve always had a pretty good idea that we’re a talented team, but the intangibles that can really set a team apart are its toughness and chemistry. I saw both of those things this weekend.”
The next event on the fall schedule is the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships hosted by the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Prequalifying for the collegiate event takes place Oct. 3-4 at UCLA, while the qualifying rounds are Oct. 6-7 and the main draw held from Oct. 8-11.
Florida senior Marrit Boonstra of The Netherlands earned an automatic berth into the 32-player main draw. Senior Anastasia Revzina of Russia and Embree are in the 64-player qualifying event. Will and sophomore Joanna Mather of Duluth, Ga., are in the pre-qualifying event. Additionally, three doubles teams earned spots in the 32-team field: Boonstra-Mather, Alexander-Revzina and Embree-Will.
GATOR FALL CLASSIC
Sunday at Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville
SINGLES
Lauren Embree (UF) def. Kristi Boxx (Miami), 6-3, 6-2; Allie Will (UF) def. Karen Nilssen (Miami), 6-0, 6-3; Connor Vogel (Miami) def. Joanna Mather, 6-1, 6-4; Claire Bartlett (UF) def. Laura van de Stroet (Miami), 6-1, 7-5; Jessica Alexander (UF) def. Soledad Podlipnik (Miami), 6-4, 6-2; Gabriela Rangel (Miami) def. Brittany Borsanyi (UF), 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8); Ecaterina Vasenina (USF) def. Alexis Rodriguez (UCF), 6-4, 6-3; Melissa Koning (USF) def. Allison Hodges (UCF), 6-4, 6-1; Jenna Doefler (UCF) def. Jessica Zok (USF), 6-2, 6-1; Allyn Mueller (USF) def. Taylor Dubins (UCF), 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-4).
DOUBLES
Melissa Koning/Irene Rehberger (USF) def. Marrit Boonstra/Joanna Mather (UF), 6-0; Jessica Alexander/Anastasia Revzina (UF) def. Allyn Mueller/Ecaterina Vasenina (USF), 6-3; Lauren Embree/Allie Will (UF) def. Lauren Shumate/Jessica Zok (USF), 6-0; Kristi Boxx/Karen Nijsse (UM) def. Jenna Doerfler/Alexis Rodriguez (UCF), 6-0; Gabriela Rangel/Connor Vogel (UM) def. Taylor Dubins/Allison Hodges (UCF), 6-2.
LACROIX, BENNETEAU LEAD MEN’S TENNIS TEAM
Junior Alexandre Lacroix claimed a share of the singles title and teamed with senior Antoine Benneteau to win the doubles crown on Sunday as the Florida men’s tennis team wrapped up its 2009 Gator Invitational at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Lacroix earned 18 points in the tournament after winning three singles matches in Flight I play, including a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Miami’s David Simon Sunday. Lacroix dropped only five games through six sets over the weekend. Mississippi State’s Artem Ilyushin also earned 18 points with three singles victories, finishing with a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5) victory over South Florida’s Wael Kilani Sunday.
The Frenchmen tandem of Lacroix and Benneteau was solid all weekend. They earned a 6-3 win over Miami’s Keith Crowley and Waylon Chin Sunday. The Florida duo was the only doubles team to win three matches in the tournament in any flight.
Florida senior Daniel Cash of Norway earned a 6-2, 6-1 win over South Florida’s Alex Pukal in Flight V singles. Freshman William Federhofer of North Miami and junior Eric Corace of Naples won their second doubles match of the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Miami’s Carl Sundberg and Simon.
GATOR INVITATIONAL
Sunday at Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville
SINGLES
FLIGHT I
Alexandre Lacroix (UF) def. David Simon (Miami), 6-0, 6-2; Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Wael Kilani (USF), 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5).
FLIGHT II
Waylon Chin (Miami) def. Erik Corace (UF), 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (10-8); Antonio Lastre (MSU) def. Romain Deridder (USF) 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 (12-10).
FLIGHT III
Keith Crowley (Miami) def. William Federhofer (UF), 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-5); George Coupland (MSU) def. Jamal Adderly (USF), 6-3, 6-1.
FLIGHT IV
Max Gregor Smith (MSU) def. Antoine Benneteau (UF), 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (13-11); Louis Cant (MSU) def. Mark Oliaca (USF), 6-2, 6-0.
FLIGHT V
Daniel Cash (UF) def. Alex Pukal (USF), 6-2, 6-1; Juan Carlos Acuna (USF) def. Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8).
FLIGHT VI
Yannick Toshizawa (USF) def. Tanner Stump (MSU), 6-3, 6-2.
DOUBLES
FLIGHT I
Antoine Benneteau-Alexandre Lacroix (UF) def. Keith Crowley-Waylon Chin (Miami), 6-3; George Coupland-Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Wael Kilani-Yannick Toshizawa (USF), 6-1.
FLIGHT II
William Federhofer-Erik Corace (UF) def. Carl Sundberg-David Simon (Miami), 6-3; Antonio Lastre-Tanner Stump (MSU) def. Mark Oljaca-Romain Deridder (USF), 7-5.
FLIGHT III
Max Gregor Smith-Louis Cant (MSU) def. Jamal Adderly-Juan Carlos Acuna Gerard (USF), 7-5.
WOMEN’S GOLF TEAM 14TH AT MASON RUDOLPH TOURNEY
With sophomore Evan Jensen finishing in a tie for seventh place at 5-under-par 139, the Florida women’s golf team carded a final round of 1-over-par 289 Sunday to finish 14th in the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship at the Vanderbilt Legends Course in Franklin, Tenn.
Southern California, led by medalist Jennifer Song’s pair of 6-under 66s, captured the overall team title with a 560 total, recording a 6-under 282 as a team. First-year coach Jan Dowling’s Gators finished 21 shots back at 581.
“It came down to making putts,” Dowling said. “We were playing against the best teams in the country, and I actually think that we are fortunate that this weekend happened when it did. It was an eye-opener for us. Ultimately, when a team is competing against the best teams in the nation, the name of the game is making a ton of birdies and making putts. I think we know what we need to work on and we will get better and learn from this experience.”
The tournament, originally scheduled for 54 holes Friday, Saturday and Sunday, was cut short to 36 holes after inclement weather Saturday canceled play.
Jensen, a sophomore from Belleair, had a bogeyless 2-under 70 Sunday to gain a share of seventh place. She made one bogey in her Friday round of 69, and Sunday she had a pair of birdies at her seventh and 16th holes.
Fellow sophomore Andrea Watts of Bradenton was one of three Gators to improve their scores on Sunday. After opening with a 1-over 73 Friday, she birdied her sixth hole but bogeyed her 15th to finish the day at even par and the tournament tied for 40th place.
Another sophomore, Marika Lendl of Bradenton, finished tied for 56th place after rounds of 73 and 74. She had two birdies and four bogeys in her round Sunday. Junior Jessica Yadloczky of Casselberry improved four shots from her Friday round by closing with a 1-over 73 and finished at 6-over 150, good for a tie for 71st place.
Freshman Mia Piccio of the Philippines also improved two shots, carding a final round of 5-over 77 to finish at 156 (T85). Piccio had a pair of birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey in her round.
The Trojans finished two strokes ahead of UCLA with Auburn finishing in third another shot back. Song’s medalist performance of 132 was three strokes better than three golfers – Cydney Clanton of Auburn, Sydnee Michaels of UCLA and Marina Alex of host Vanderbilt.
The Gators travel to Knoxville, Tenn. on Oct. 16-18 to participate in the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship at the Fox Den Country Club.
MASON RUDOLPH WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
At par-72, 6,271-yard Vanderbilt Legends Course, Franklin, Tenn.
TEAM
1. Southern California (-16) 560 (278-282); 2. UCLA (-14) 562 (284-278); 3. Auburn (-13) 563 (278-285); T4. Arizona State (-11) 565 (280-285) and Duke (-11) 565 (283-282); 6. Louisiana State (-7) 569 (286-283); 7. Alabama (-6) 570 (280-290); 8. Oklahoma State (-5) 571 (285-286); 9. Georgia (-3) 573 (285-288); 10. Arizona (E) 576 (286-290); 11. Vanderbilt (+2) 578 (285-293); 12. Virginia (+3) 579 (292-287); 13. Stanford (+4) 580 (287-293); 14. Florida (+5) 581 (292-289); 15. Texas (+8) 584 (290-294); 16. Tulane (+9) 585 (296-289); 17. South Carolina (+20) 596 (300-296)
INDIVIDUALS
Top 10 and ties
1. Jennifer Song (USCal) (-12) 132 (66-66); T2. Marina Alex (V) (-9) 135 (68-67), Cydney Clanton (Au) (-9) 135 (67-68) and Sydnee Michaels (UCLA) (-9) 135 (70-65); 5. Margarita Ramos (Ariz) (-7) 137 (68-69); 6. Victoria Park (Okla. St.) (-6) 138 (71-67); T7. Emilie Burger (Ga) (-5) 139 (69-70), Evan Jensen (Fla) (-5) 139 (69-70), Jennifer Johnson (Ariz.St.) (-5) 139 (69-70), Camilia Lennarth (Ala) (-5) 139 (68-71), Candace Schepperle (Au) (-5) 139 (66-73) and Tessa Teachman (LSU) (-5) 139 (70-69).
Florida
T7. Evan Jensen (-5) 139 (69-70); T40. Andrea Watts (+1) 145 (73-72); T56. Marika Lendl (+3) 147 (73-74); T71. Jessica Yadloczky (+6) 150 (77-73); T85. Mia Piccio (+12) 156 (79-77).