Michigan
Florida
Michigan Drops Homestand Opener to Florida
2/9/2018 9:34:00 PM | Men's Tennis
» The No. 13-ranked Wolverines led, 2-1, after singles wins from Mattias Siimar and Davis Crocker, but Florida won the next three singles matches to win the match.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #11 Florida 4, #13 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (3-2), UF (4-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Feb. 10 -- vs. Harvard (Varsity Tennis Center), 1 p.m.
• Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team got singles wins from senior Davis Crocker and freshman Mattias Siimar, but fell to No. 11 Florida, 4-2, in the opener of a three-match weekend homestand on Friday (Feb. 9) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
The doubles point was hotly contested with Florida winning early at No. 3 before Michigan canceled the advantage with a 6-4 win at No. 2 from junior Myles Schalet and sophomore Connor Johnston.
Control of the point came down to No. 1 between a pair of top-10 doubles teams. The home team's top duo of seniors Alex Knight and Runhao Hua led, 5-3, and got it to deuce with a chance to win, but Florida broke and then won the next two sets to go up, 6-5. The Wolverines, with their backs against the wall and receiving, fought off two match points to tie it up at 6-all and send the match to a tiebreaker. Knight and Hua led, 6-5, in the breaker but conceded three consecutive points, giving the doubles point to Florida.
The Wolverines rebounded and got off to a fast start in singles, taking first sets on four of six courts. Siimar tied up the match at 1 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Oliver Crawford at No. 4 and went up, 2-1, shortly afterward when Crocker defeated Chase Perez-Blanco, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 6.
Florida evened up the score with a straight-sets win at No. 2, while the remaining matches on the north courts all went to a third set. The Gators proceeded to close out wins at Nos. 3 and 1 to win the match, 4-2.
The Wolverines continue their homestand Saturday (Feb. 10) against Harvard at the Varsity Tennis Center. First serve is at 1 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #9 Alfredo Perez (UF) def. #3 Alex Knight (U-M), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 -- #7 Johannes Inglidsen (UF) def. #42 Runhao Hua (U-M), 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 -- #43 Duarte Vale (UF) def. #113 Myles Schalet (U-M), 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
No. 4 -- Mattias Siimar (U-M) def. Oliver Crawford (UF), 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 -- Andy Andrade (UF) vs. Carter Lin (U-M), 0-6, 7-6 (5), 2-1 abandoned
No. 6 -- Davis Crocker (U-M) def. Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 -- #5 McClain Kessler/Duarte Vale (UF) def. #9 Alex Knight/Runhao Hua (U-M), 7-6 (6)
No. 2 -- Myles Schalet/Connor Johnston (U-M) def Oliver Crawford/Alfredo Perez (UF), 6-4
No. 3 -- Johannes Inglidsen/Chase Perez-Blanco (UF) def. Gabe Tishman/Nick Beaty (U-M), 6-0
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 4-6-2-3-1
Players Mentioned
