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The Gators men’s tennis team opened the 14th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kickoff Weekend with a 4-1 victory over in-state foe USF. The win sets up an all-SEC matchup in the final with Mississippi State and the winner will get a bid to the ITA National Indoor Championships.
An all-SEC matchup in the championship on deck!
Gators face Mississippi State tomorrow at 2 p.m.#GoGators 🐊🎾 | @WellsFargo | #ITAKickoff pic.twitter.com/l2IY6b8BiO
— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 27, 2023
Gators Take Doubles Point
Florida’s court one duo of Axel Nefve and Will Grant broke early to give themselves a 3-0 lead. They held serve for the rest of the match to give the Gators a 1-0 lead in doubles.
Doubles update:
Closing in on the doubles point 👊
✅Grant/Nefve, 6-3
2️⃣ #10 Nirundorn/Tokac ⬇️ 3-5
3️⃣ #43 Braswell/Greif ⬆ 5-3#GoGators 🐊🎾 pic.twitter.com/nRZFewwjMS— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 27, 2023
No. 10 Tanapatt Nirundorn and Togan Tokac fell 6-3 to Bruno Oliveira and Thomas Pavlekovich-Smith on court two. That meant it all came down to No. 43 Jonah Braswell and Lukas Grief to secure the doubles point. The pair broke twice late in the set en route to a 6-4 victory that would give Florida a 1-0 lead heading into singles.
Gators secure the doubles point ‼️
✅ #43 Braswell/Greif, 6-4
UF 1, USF 0#GoGators 🐊🎾 pic.twitter.com/psDtyo4OJx
— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 27, 2023
Florida Cruises in Singles
Singles marked the return of No.51 Nate Bonetto to the lineup. Needing just three wins to clinch the match, the Gators came out firing.
Tokac was the first to finish after dispatching Rhomas Pavlekovich-Smith 6-3, 6-0 for his second dual-match win of the season. It was the Turkey Native’s first match at No.6 singles after playing No.5 for the first two dual matches of the season.
Fellow freshman No. 93 Jonah Braswell improved to 3-0 in dual matches this season with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Olivera. His first match at court four saw him only drop three games.
Singles update:
A Birthday dub for Togan. Let's go! 🥳
1️⃣ Nefve ⬆️ 6-0, 5-4
2️⃣ Grant ⬇️ 3-6, 5-3
3️⃣ #51 Bonetto ⬇️ 2-6, 3-5
4️⃣ #93 Braswell ⬆️ 6-2, 2-1
5️⃣ Greif ⬆️ 6-4, 0-2
✅ Tokac, 6-3, 6-0UF 2, USF 0#GoGators 🐊🎾 pic.twitter.com/5uVh3ag68U
— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 27, 2023
With the Gators up 3-0, they would need just one more point to clinch their spot in the final. It would come through senior Lukas Grief who posted a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Elijah Cham. Grief is now 15-2 in dual matches as a Gator.
Singles update:
Lukas clinches the W and sends Florida to the championship!
1️⃣ Nefve ⬆️ 6-0, 6-6 (unfinished)
2️⃣ Grant ⬆️ 3-6, 6-3, 3-1 (unfinished)
✅ Greif, 6-4, 6-2UF 4, USF 1#GoGators 🐊🎾 pic.twitter.com/XLW8wjeY0C
— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 27, 2023
Saturday’s Matchup
With the Gators 4-1 victory over USF, they will now take on SEC rival Mississippi State. The match will take place at 2 p.m. at Alfred Ring Tennis Complex on Saturday, Jan. 28. The winner will receive a bid to the 2023 ITA National Fall Indoor Championships in Chicago, Illinois, taking place Feb. 17-20.
A trip to National Team Indoor Championships on the line.
🆚 Mississippi State
📍 Gainesville
⏰ 2 p.m.
🏟️ Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex
📺 https://t.co/FIiqELcZ0E
📺 https://t.co/QTZFY73aF1 (@CrackedRacquets)
📊 https://t.co/sP3KhHQWb3#GoGators 🐊🎾 | #ITAKickoff pic.twitter.com/ITtY8o1naI— Gators Men's Tennis (@GatorsMTN) January 28, 2023
