Michigan
Florida
Michigan's Rally Falls Short at No. 19 Florida
3/22/2023 6:10:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Gainesville, Fla. (Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex)
Score: #19 Florida 4, #3 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (11-3), UF (9-4)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 25 -- vs. #17 Wisconsin (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team fell in an early hole and fought off match points at multiple positions but could not complete the comeback, falling 4-1 to No. 19 Florida on Wednesday afternoon (March 22) at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.
Michigan won the first doubles match off court, but Florida answered with back-to-back wins at No. 1 and No. 3 to secure the point. U-M's No. 2 pair of Julia Fliegner and Lily Jones won a roller coaster match, winning the final four games for a 6-2 lead. The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Gators won two straight of their own. After that, it was time for Fliegner and Jones to make their run by winning the last four games for the win.
At No. 1, Michigan could not cash in on break points throughout the match as Florida grabbed the 6-2 win to bring the doubles tally even at 1-1.
Florida clinched the first point of the match with an identical 6-2 win at the No. 3 position. Michigan fell behind early at 2-0, but Merri Kelly and Andrea Cerdan won the next two games to pull level at 2-2. The Wolverine pair could not come through on a couple of deuce points as Florida grabbed the win for the first point of the team match.
U-M got off to a slow start in singles play but eventually took first sets at No. 2 by Jaedan Brown and No. 6 from Cerdan. Brown was able to rally from a 4-2 deficit in the first for the win, with Cerdan winning four of the first five games to take control.
With Florida seemingly taking control of singles action in the middle stages of the second sets, Michigan began to mount a rally. Fliegner found herself down a set and 5-1 before fighting off five match points to eventually head to a tiebreaker for the second set at No. 3. Jones, who fended off set points in the first but dropped a 7-5 decision, grabbed a 4-2 lead in her second set at No. 4. Gala Mesochoritou was down 5-3 in her second set, also fighting off match points, to head to a tiebreaker at No. 5 as Michigan tried to turn the tide.
During all of that, Florida was able to secure a straight-set win at No. 1 for a 2-0 lead.
Fliegner saw her rally come up short as she dropped the first three points of the breaker and was down 4-2 at the changeover. During the next point, Florida's forehand clipped the net and changed direction as Fliegner was coming to net. It was all Florida from there as Alicia Dudeney put the third point up for the Gators.
Cerdan accounted for Michigan's lone point of the afternoon, winning 6-2, 7-5 at No. 6. She grabbed the early lead in the first set and never looked back in the win. In the second, she broke for a 6-5 lead and served out the match in the ensuing game when Florida's forehand went long.
Michigan was trying to force third sets at No. 4 from Jones and No. 5 from Mesochoritou, with both matches in second-set tiebreakers. Jones fell behind early but fought off two more match points at No. 4.
Mesochoritou hung in at No. 5 and got off to a solid start, but Florida won the final three points of the tiebreaker to wrap up the win and clinch the team match.
The Wolverines return home this weekend for a pair of Big Ten matches, hosting Wisconsin on Saturday (March 25) and Minnesota on Sunday (March 26) at the Varsity Tennis Center. Both matches are slated to start at noon and admission is free.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 42 Sara Dahlstrom (UF) d. No. 47 Kari Miller (U-M), 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 30 Jaedan Brown (U-M) vs. No. 45 Carly Briggs (UF), 7-6 (0), 2-5 abandoned
No. 3 --. Alicia Dudeney (UF) d. No. 37 Julia Fliegner (U-M), 6-1, 7-6 (2)
No. 4 -- Rachel Gailis (UF) vs. No. 63 Lily Jones (U-M), 6-4, 6-6 abandoned
No. 5 -- Emily De Oliveira (UF) d. Gala Mesochoritou (U-M), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
No. 6 -- Andrea Cerdan (U-M) d. Bente Spee (UF), 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 -- Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee (UF) d. No. 2 Jaedan Brown/Kari Miller (U-M), 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 69 Lily Jones/Julia Fliegner (U-M) d. No. 60 Carly Briggs/Rachel Gailis (UF), 6-2
No. 3 -- Emily De Oliveira/Sophie Williams (UF) d. Andrea Cerdan/Merri Kelly (U-M), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3, Singles 1-3-6-5
Players Mentioned
