The 75-match home-winning streak of the Florida women’s tennis team stayed intact Sunday when Marrit Boonstra overcame the heat, severe cramping and the nation’s No. 6 singles player to clinch the Gators’ thrilling 4-3 victory over Auburn on the courts of Linder Stadium at the Ring Tennis Complex.
With the team match tied at 3-all, No. 8 Boonstra and Auburn junior Fani Chifchieva battled for almost 2½ hours before the Florida junior emerged with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory for the Gators (12-7, 6-4 SEC), who are now 146-1 all-time at home against Southeastern Conference foes.
Boonstra lost the opening match to Chifchieva but broke her Auburn opponent in the first game of the second set, which she won handily.
In the final set, Boonstra led 3-2 but Chifchieva was serving to even the set at 3-3. With the game at duce, Boonstra’s left leg began to cramp and she needed medical attention. When play resumed, Chifchieva won the point to hold the advantage. But Boonstra won the next three points to take a 4-2 lead. She then double-faulted during the seventh game but battled back to win three straight points and held on serve for a 5-2 lead. Boonstra then won the first three points of the final game for triple-match point, winning the match on the third point.
“I don’t how she did it,” Florida coach Roland Thornqvist said. “We talk a lot about how to handle ourselves at the end of sets. When she started cramping at the end, though, I don’t know how she found the inner strength to do it.”
Boonstra credited the home crowd.
“They helped me out so much,” she said. “They were amazing. I remember the feeling I had after losing at Louisiana State and I just didn’t want to leave the court today without winning.”
Earlier in the day, Boonstra and freshman Joanna Mather gave Florida a victory at No. 1 doubles that secured the doubles point in the team match.
Ranked No. 80 nationally, Boonstra and Mather faced Auburn’s No. 34 team of Whitney Chappell and Alex Haney. The Tigers duo took a 3-0 lead before Mather held serve. The Gators broke Auburn’s serve and Boonstra then held to even the match at 3-3.
The Gators had a close call in the 12th game when Mather fought off a break point and evened the match at 6-6. Mather sprinted down a shot several feet wide of the court and smacked a forehand around the net post for a winner to put Florida ahead, 7-6. Boonstra then used her strong serve to close out the match, 8-6.
“We didn’t play well at all at No. 1 doubles until the end, when we did some very good things,” Thornqvist said. “Even though we didn’t execute like we should have at the beginning, we hung in there and played smart at the end. I’m really, really proud.”
It was Mather who broke a 1-1 tie with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Whitney Chappell at No. 3 singles.
“She’s incredible, she’s my hero,” Mather said of Boonstra’s effort on the singles court, as she ran to congratulate her teammate even before Boonstra had a chance to shake Chifchieva’s hand at the net. “She fought so hard and it was beautiful. In my match, my goal was to play consistent and I did that.”
Auburn again tied the score at 2-2 when 39th-ranked Alex Haney played an outstanding match and defeated UF’s 38th-ranked Anastasia Revzina, 6-3, 6-1, halting the Gator’s seven-match singles win streak in addition to handing Revzina her first career dual match singles loss to an SEC opponent in 24 contests.
“We were outplayed at a lot of spots and you have to give Auburn all the credit on those courts,” Thornqvist said. “It was a mighty effort for Auburn at No. 2, there wasn’t much we could do against her today.”
Auburn (11-10, 3-6 SEC) took its first lead of the dual match after winning at court No. 6. Three minutes later, though, Gator rookie Jessica Alexander came through with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 victory over Myrthe Molenveld at the No. 4 spot.
Nine of Florida’s 19 matches this season have ended in a 4-3 decision, with six of the team’s seven losses coming in those tight contests.
Florida next plays host to South Carolina on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams. First serve is at 10 a.m. and admission is free.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
FLORIDA 4, AUBURN 3
Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville, Fla.
DOUBLES
1. (80) Marrit Boonstra/Joanna Mather (UF) def. (34) Whitney Chappell/AlexHaney, 8-6.
2. Anastasia Revzina/Barbara Pinterova (UF) def. Myrthe Molenveld/Daniela Vkadinovic, 8-2.
3. Fani Chifchieva/Jil Hastenrath (AU) def. Brooke Allen/Lauren Wolken, 8-0.
Florida wins doubles point, 2-1.
SINGLES
1. (8) Marrit Boonstra (UF) def. (6) Fani Chifchieva, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
2. (39) Alex Haney (AU) def. (38) Anastasia Revzina, 6-3, 6-1.
3. Joanna Mather (UF) def. Whitney Chappell, 6-1, 6-2.
4. Jessica Alexander (UF) def. Myrthe Molenveld, 6-3, 7-5.
5. Daniela Vkadinovic (AU) def. Barbara Pinterova, 6-0, 6-2.
6. Jil Hastenrath (AU) def. Brooke Allen, 6-0, 6-1.
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 2, 1; Singles – 6, 3, 2, 5, 4, 1.