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The No. 5 Michigan Wolverines beat the No. 8 Florida Gators 4-1 at Ann Arbor in a women’s tennis match Tuesday.
This was the Wolverine’s fourth-ranked matchup and third-ranked win of the season to improve to 5-1 during its five-match win streak. The Gators fell to 4-1.
Florida’s first doubles loss of the year
Florida lost the doubles point for the first time this year . Gators freshman duo Qavia Lopez-Malwina Rowinska started strong with a 6-2 win over graduate student Anna Ross-sophomore Lily Jones.
https://twitter.com/GatorsWTN/status/1754997821680562511
As Florida looked for the doubles point, junior duo Alicia Dudeney-Dente Spee were down 4-3 to Michigan’s senior duo Kari Miller-Jaedan Brown. Dudeney-Spee rallied to take a 5-4 lead before falling short, 7-5.
The Wolverines took the doubles point after freshman duo Reese Miller-Piper Charney beat Florida’s graduate student Carly Briggs-sophomore Rachel Gailis. That match went into a tie-breaker where Miller-Charney won 7-6 (7-4).
The Doubles point is ours after Miller and Charney win 7-6! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Pzte96D6bE
— Michigan Women's Tennis (@UMichWTennis) February 6, 2024
Michigan Dominates Singles
The Wolverines wasted no time once the singles competition began. Senior Gala Mesochoritou swept Dudeney 6-0, 6-0 on Court 4, giving them a 2-0 lead.
Gailis won the Gators’ only point on Court 2, after beating junior Julia Fliegner 6-4, 6-1.
https://twitter.com/GatorsWTN/status/1755021096079016291
Kari Miller took out Briggs on Court 1, 6-2, 6-2. The pressure was now on Florida, which would have to win every match to come back from being down 3-1. Hope was still alive when Florida’s Emily De Oliveira won her first set along with Rowinska. Lopez had lost her first set, but won the second set 7-6.
The Wolverines dug deep and each of the final three matches went into their third and final sets. Brown finished De Oliveria on Court 3 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to give Michigan the win.
Game. Set. Match! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/Z52kH2YCEG
— Michigan Women's Tennis (@UMichWTennis) February 7, 2024
In both unfinished matches, the Wolverines were leading as Jones was beating Lopez 6-4, 7-6, 2-1 on Court 5, and Charney was up 1-6, 7-6, 5-1 against Rowinska on Court 6.
Final from Ann Arbor #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ni42pNzn9I
— Gators Women's Tennis (@GatorsWTN) February 7, 2024
Up Next
Florida’s next challenge will be in Seattle, where it looks to bounce back in the ITA National Indoor Championships. The four-day tournament starts Friday with the nation’s 16 top-ranked teams competing.
