Michigan
Florida
Wolverines Drop Heartbreaker at Florida
4/11/2019 8:41:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» Michigan had three match points for its fourth team point of the match but Florida fought off all three and won the final three matches on court in a 4-3 Gator win.
» U-M got singles wins from Kate Fahey, Alyvia Jones and Brienne Minor to erase a 1-0 Gator lead after Florida won the doubles point.
» The Wolverines will wrap up conference action this weekend in search of their ninth Big Ten rchampionship in program history.
Site: Gainesville, Fla. (Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex)
Result: Florida 4, #14 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (13-5), UF (11-9)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 14 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 11 a.m.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team had three match points for its fourth point of the team match but could not convert, eventually dropping a 4-3 decision to Florida on Thursday evening (April 11) at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
Michigan fell in early holes at all three doubles courts before mounting comebacks at No. 1 and No. 2.
Florida was first off court with a 6-3 win at No. 3.
U-M's No. 2 duo of junior Giulia Pairone and freshman Anca Craciun ripped off four straight games to tie the match at 4. After each team held serve, Pairone and Craciun came through with a break to send Craciun back to the line to serve out the match.
At the same time, U-M's No. 1 pair of seniors Brienne Minor and Kate Fahey closed within 5-4 after facing a 4-0 deficit. Minor and Fahey broke Florida at 5-3 to stay on court and held on Fahey's serve but were but still down a break.
Pairone and Craciun grabbed a 7-5 win to even the doubles ledger but Florida came through with a 6-4 win at No. 1 moments later to clinch the first point of the match.
Minor evened the team score up at 1 with a convincing win at No. 3. It was all Minor in the first set as she cruised to a 6-1 win. She took an early break in the second, but Florida got it back to tie the set at 4. Minor came through with a break, taking advantage of two double faults, to grab a 5-4 lead. She closed out the set on her serve in the ensuing game to put Michigan on the board.
Sophomore Alyvia Jones put Michigan's next point on the board, courtesy of a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6. Jones took an early break at 3-1 in the first set and never looked back in the win. In the second set, Jones once again took control early and closed out the match with an ace up the middle, winning the final three points to wrap up the win.
Fahey accounted for Michigan's third point, knocking off No. 10-ranked Ida Jarlskog at No. 1 in straight sets. Fahey ran out to a 5-0 lead in the first before hanging on for a 6-4 win, breaking Jarlskog for the win. It was all Fahey in the second as she coasted to a 6-0 win, wrapping up her 13th straight victory at the top of the lineup.
Moments later, Pairone had three match points on No. 37-ranked McCartney Kessler's serve, but the Gator saved all three. Pairone was broken at love, giving Kessler a 6-5 lead and a chance to send the match to a third set on her serve. Pairone won the first point of the game but Kessler answered with four straight to send the match to a third set.
Florida cut Michigan's lead to 3-2 with a win at No. 4.
Freshman Anca Craciun fell in an early hole in the third set and despite fighting off two match points, could not pull out the win at No. 5. Craciun won the first set, 6-2, but lost the next two sets, 6-1, 6-2.
Pairone dropped the first four games of the third set before holding serve in the set's fifth game. She got one break back in the next game, closing the deficit to 4-2. Florida answered right back with a break for a 5-2 lead, but Pairone won two straight games to get within 5-4. Pairone could not keep the momentum going as Florida closed out the match in the next game to clinch the team victory.
Michigan will close out Big Ten action this weekend, first traveling to Rutgers on Saturday (April 13) to take on the Scarlet Knights at 11 a.m. U-M can win its ninth Big Ten championship in program history with at least one victory this weekend.
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 3 Kate Fahey (U-M) d. No. 10 Ida Jalskog (UF), 6-4, 6-0
No. 2 -- No. 37 McCartney Kessler (UF) d. No. 75 Giulia Pairone (U-M), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 -- No. 45 Brienne Minor (U-M) d. No. 94 Victoria Emma (UF), 6-1, 6-4
No. 4 -- Marlee Zein (UF) d. No. 44 Chiara Lommer (U-M), 7-5, 6-1
No. 5 -- Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) d. Anca Craciun (U-M), 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 -- Alyvia Jones (U-M) d. Sydney Berlin (UF), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 51 Victoria Emma (UF) d. No. 25 Kate Fahey/Brienne Minor (U-M), 6-3
No. 2 -- Giulia Pairone/Anca Craciun (U-M) d. Ida Jarlskog/Tsveta Dimitrova (UF), 7-5
No. 3 -- Sydney Berlin/Marlee Zein (UF) d. Chiara Lommer/Bella Lorenzini (U-M), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 3-6-1-4-5-2
Players Mentioned
