The No. 21 Florida Gators women’s tennis team began its season-ending, three-match homestand with a 4-1 victory over No. 26 Alabama Friday afternoon in Linder Stadium at the Ring Tennis Complex.
Coach Roland Thornqvist’s Gators (11-7, 5-4 SEC) extended their regular-season home winning streak to 74 by earning the doubles point, and then after Alabama (13-6, 3-6 SEC) won the No. 6 singles point, Jessica Alexander, Marrit Boonstra and Joanna Mather won their singles matches to clinch the victory.
“I’m really proud of how we’ve been fighting and giving everything we’ve got every time we step out onto the court,” Thornqvist said. “Today, I thought the theme for us was ‘resilient.’ We lost leads on some courts, but we didn’t roll over and lose the set because of it. We were able to put it in another gear and I was very happy to see that.”
Alabama won the first doubles match at No. 3, but Florida came right back at No. 1 where Boonstra and Mather beat Tiffany Welcher and Courtney McLane, 8-2.
The Gators won the No. 2 doubles match and the first team point of the match when junior Anastasia Revzina teamed with freshman Barbara Pinterova to beat Paulina Bigos and Taylor Lindsey, 9-7. Early on, Revzina and Pinterova led 5-2 but Alabama came back to take a 7-6 before Revzina held for 7-all and the Gator duo won eight of the final 10 points to prevail.
After Alabama won at No. 6 singles to tie the match at 1-1, Alexander scored a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Meritt Emery at No. 4 singles for a 2-1 Florida lead.
Boonstra then posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Tiffany Welcher at No. 1 singles to improve to 16-2 this season in No. 1 singles matches. Mather clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Bigos at No. 3 singles. It was Mather’s seventh straight singles victory.
Florida continues its homestand Sunday against Auburn at 1 p.m and ends its regular season on April 18 against visiting South Carolina.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
FLORIDA 4, ALABAMA 1
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville, Fla.
DOUBLES
1. (80) Marrit Boonstra/Joanna Mather (UF) def. (73) Tiffany Welcher/Courtney McLane, 8-2.
2. Anastasia Revzina/Barbara Pinterova (UF) def. Paulina Bigos/Taylor Lindsey, 9-7.
3. Shelley Godwin/Alice Tunaru (UA) def. Brooke Allen/Lauren Wolken, 8-1.
SINGLES
1. (8) Marrit Boonstra (UF) def. (105) Tiffany Welcher, 6-3, 6-2.
2. Courtney McLane (UA) led (38) Anastasia Revzina, 6-4, 3-1, DNF.
3. Joanna Mather (UF) def. Paulina Bigos, 6-3, 6-3.
4. Jessica Alexander (UF) def. Meritt Emery, 6-4, 6-1.
5. Barbara Pinterova (UF) led Shelley Godwin, 6-4, 1-2, DNF.
6. Taylor Lindsey (UA) Brooke Allen, 6-1, 6-1.
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 1, 2; Singles – 6, 4, 1, 3.