TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Friday, the 19th-ranked Vanderbilt men’s tennis team’s hopes of advancing into semifinal play of the Southeastern Conference Tournament were dashed as No. 10 Florida defeated the Dores, 4-1.
Sixth-seeded VU advanced to the quarterfinal round after knocking out 11th-seeded LSU Wednesday by a score of 4-0. The Commodores nabbed the doubles point over the Tigers and collected their necessary final three points on courts five, three and one.
Friday’s quarterfinal began with the Gators clinching the doubles point on courts one then three.
Ranked third in the country, UF’s duo of Johannes Ingildsen and Alfredo Perez took the first win on the day, downing 12th-ranked Cameron Klinger and Billy Rowe on court one, 6-2. The Gators clinched the doubles point on court three. George Harwell and Baker Newman fell to UF’s Chase Perez-Blanco and Oliver Crawford, 6-3.
Florida continued dominant tennis in singles play, taking five-of-six first sets.
Vanderbilt’s Maxwell Freeman was first off the court in individual play, earning his first ranked win as a Commodore. The freshman from Ashland, Mass. earned Vanderbilt its first point of the outing for the second match in a row. Battling for each point, Freeman walked away with a tight 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 105 Duarte Vale.
The Gators strung together three wins on courts six, one and two. Vandy’s Harwell fell on court six to UF’s Kessler 6-2, 7-5, while No. 28 Daniel Valent suffered a close 7-5, 7-5 upset loss to No. 51 Crawford at the No. 1 singles position.
Florida’s 13th-ranked Alfredo Perez clinched the Gators’ spot in semifinals, taking down the Dores’ 25th-ranked Klinger in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1.
With university finals ahead, Vanderbilt tennis will take a break from practice for its student-athletes to focus on studies. Then it’s full steam ahead to NCAAs, where the team awaits its fate. The NCAA selection show is scheduled to air on May 1 at 4:30 p.m. CT.
