Bulldog Comeback Falls Short to Gators, 5-2

Friday, March 2

Gainesville, FL

6:00 P.M.

University of Georgia

Florida

March 02, 2018 | Men's Tennis

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Trailing 3-1, the No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs men's tennis team forced deciding sets in the definitive three matches before the No. 18 Florida Gators sealed a 5-2 final on Friday at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

"Florida played a great match against us today," Georgia head coach Manuel Diaz said. "We competed incredibly well. While we were under pressure the whole match with Florida playing extremely well, we almost turned a corner when Nathan was about to win, Jan was three-all in the third, and Emil had a lead in the third set. Our guys just need to stay strong. We can play better in a few spots, and we're going to have to. We're going to have to work harder, and we're going to have to play better. This team has what it takes, and I'm ready to see them play again on Sunday."

In doubles, the Bulldogs faced three top-ranked Florida teams. Walker Duncan and Wayne Montgomery jumpstarted the Georgia squad, defeating their highest-ranked opponent this season in the No. 9 duo of Duarte Vale and McClain Kessler, 6-3, on the second court.

The point came down to the first and third courts, including an SEC Tournament doubles re-match between the top-ranked team of Alfredo Perez and Johannes Ingildsen and the No. 12 tandem of Robert Loeb and Jan Zielinski. This season, Perez and Ingildsen notched the victory 6-2. Next, Florida's seventh-ranked pair of Chase Perez-Blanco and Oliver Crawford topped the Alex Diaz-Nathan Ponwith duo on court three, providing the Gators a one-point edge going into singles

In singles, No. 19 Duncan raced to a quick 5-0 in the first set; he dropped the next two sets before breaking the serve of No. 94 Andy Andrade to take the first frame 6-2. With a 7-4 second-set tiebreak win, the junior improved to a team-leading 6-0 record in dual play, including two over ranked opponents, and knotted the match at one.

Perez-Blanco bested Loeb on the sixth court, putting the Gators back in front, while the first court featured a showdown between the No. 10 and No. 11 players in the country, Perez and Montgomery. The second set was tied at three, four and five before Perez came out on top for the 6-3, 7-5 victory.

Down 3-1, Georgia looked to No. 89 Ponwith on the third court, who came back from dropping the first set 6-4 to overtake No. 59 Vale 6-2, 6-1 in the last two frames. The sophomore cut the Florida margin to one with an ace.

With both No. 40 Emil Reinberg and No. 28 Zielinski in third sets on the respective second and fourth courts, Florida's Crawford supplied a match-clincher for the Gators with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 decision over Zielinski, marking the junior's first singles loss in dual play this season.

Reinberg played out his match on the second court, falling 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 with a late third-set surge from the ninth-ranked Ingildsen.

Up next, the Bulldogs complete their first SEC weekend in Columbia, South Carolina against the Gamecocks on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

RESULTS
Gainesville, Fla. // March 2, 2018
FINAL: #18 Florida 5, #17 Georgia 2

Doubles Results