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Georgia Comeback Falls Short to Florida
March 11, 2022 | Men's Tennis
ATHENS, Ga. — With Georgia down 3-0, No. 1 singles player Hamish Stewart battled from down 4-2 in a deciding second set to force a third, but it was not enough as the No. 4-ranked Florida Gators beat No. 8-ranked Georgia 4-0 on Friday.
Stewart's bid to force a comeback came as the Bulldogs were locked in tight battles at the remaining three courts. No. 19 Stewart ultimately fell to the nation's No. 1-ranked player Ben Shelton, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the clinching match.
Friday's action started outdoors on the doubles courts, before rain forced the squads inside for singles play.
The teams split at the first and third doubles positions. Stewart and Tristan McCormick fell 6-2 to Florida's Sam Riffice and Shelton at No. 1, before Erik Grevelius and Blake Croyder battled back from down a break at 4-2 to win their match, 6-4.
Georgia's Trent Bryde and Philip Henning were down 5-3 and faced a match point at 30-40, before battling back to win four-straight points at the second court. Up 30-0, Bryde and Henning could not withstand a furious Florida rally as the Gator combo of Duarte Vale and Nate Bonetto hung on for the 6-4 victory.
Down 1-0, Georgia had work to do in singles.
Florida quickly took a 2-0 advantage after Riffice defeated Henning, 6-0, 6-1. The score was then extended to 3-0 when Bryde dropped a 6-3, 6-2 match to Andy Andrade.
With the score at 3-0 in Florida's favor, Stewart left the door open for a Georgia comeback thanks his second-set win against Shelton. McCormick was tied 1-1 in the third set, Croyder was up a set, 3-1 and Miguel Perez Peña was tied 3-3 in the second.
Florida hung on for the win and improved to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Georgia falls to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in league play.
The Bulldogs host No. 7-ranked South Carolina on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Athens.
Tennis Match Results
University of Florida vs Georgia
March 11, 2022 at Athens, Ga.
(Dan Magill Tennis Complex)
#4 University of Florida 4, #8 Georgia 0
Singles
1. #1 Ben Shelton (UF) def. #19 Hamish Stewart (UGA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
2. #56 Sam Riffice (UF) def. #40 Philip Henning (UGA) 6-0, 6-1
3. #31 Tristan McCormick (UGA) vs. #109 Duarte Vale (UF) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 1-1, unfinished
4. #93 Andy Andrade (UF) def. #84 Trent Bryde (UGA) 6-3, 6-2
5. Blake Croyder (UGA) vs. Mattias Siimar (UF) 7-5, 3-1, unfinished
6. Miguel Perez Pena (UGA) vs. #119 Nate Bonetto (UF) 1-6, 3-3, unfinished
Doubles
1. Sam Riffice/Ben Shelton (UF) def. #55 Tristan McCormick/Hamish Stewart (UGA) 6-2
2. #54 Andy Andrade/Mattias Siimar (UF) def. #27 Trent Bryde/Philip Henning (UGA) 6-4
3. #62 Blake Croyder/Erik Grevelius (UGA) def. Duarte Vale/Nate Bonetto (UF) 6-4
Match Notes:
University of Florida 10-2, 3-0 SEC; National ranking #4
Georgia 12-4, 2-1 SEC; National ranking #8
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (2,4,1)
Social Media
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