UVA Downs Florida 4-0 to Advance to Quarterfinals
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May 18, 2017
Final Stats | Post Match Interviews
ATHENS, Ga. – No. 2 Virginia (31-1) continued its NCAA team title defense with a 4-0 victory over No. 15 Florida (19-10) in the Round of 16 of the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships on Thursday (May 18) at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
Virginia took a close doubles point and then held the momentum in singles to claim wins on the second, third and fifth courts to seal the victory.
Virginia will face 10-seed Texas (22-8) on Saturday, May 20 at 12 p.m. in the quarterfinals The winner will advance to the semifinals which will take place on Monday, May 22.
“It was great to come down to Athens and play the first round and get through it against an outstanding Florida team,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “I believe we came out with a lot of energy, executed and played well. We’re going to have to continue to get better with each match, but congratulations to Florida on a great season.”
Virginia emerged with a tightly-contested doubles point, earning twin 6-4 results on the second and third courts courtesy of seniors Alexander Ritschard (Zurich, Switzerland) and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Charlotte, N.C.) as well as junior Collin Altamirano (Sacramento, Calif.) and senior J.C. Aragone (Yorba Linda, Calif.).
The Cavaliers carried the momentum into singles play, with Kwiatkowski earning a quick 6-3, 6-2 win on the second court. Shortly after, freshman Carl Soderlund (Stockholm, Sweden) pushed UVA to the brink of victory with a 6-1, 6-4 win on the third singles court. The match came to an end with a Virginia win on the fifth singles court, where 109th-ranked Aragone topped No. 123 Johannes Ingildsen, 6-4, 6-4, to clinch the match.
“We came out with a lot of energy in doubles and I thought it was really impressive especially against these guys who are really good in doubles,” Aragone said. “We really carried the momentum into singles. It’s a tennis match and there’s a lot of momentum shifts. They were really good at the big moments and took their chances and played really well, but I thought we were in control for a lot of the match. It got a little tight at the end but we were fortunate to close it out.”
Texas upset 7-seed Baylor, 4-1, on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Cavaliers have won three of the last four NCAA Championships (2013, 15 and 16), have now advanced to the quarterfinals each of the last 13 years. Virginia has reached the semifinals in each of the last seven years and nine of the last 10 seasons.
Live scoring and video for the matches will be available with the links posted on VirginiaSports.com.
#2 Virginia 4, #15 Florida 0
Singles competition
1. #91 Alexander Ritschard (VA) vs. #8 Alfredo Perez (FLA) 3-6, 6-6, unfinished
2. #14 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (VA) def. #85 Elliott Orkin (FLA) 6-3, 6-2
3. Carl Soderlund (VA) def. Chase Perez-Blanco (FLA) 6-1, 6-4
4. #40 Collin Altamirano (VA) vs. Maxx Lipman (FLA) 6-3, 3-6, 1-1, unfinished
5. #109 J.C. Aragone (VA) def. #123 Johannes Ingildsen (FLA) 6-4, 6-4
6. #102 Henrik Wiersholm (VA) vs. McClain Kessler (FLA) 6-2, 6-5, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #17 Luca Corinteli/Carl Soderlund (VA) vs. #2 Alfredo Perez/Johannes Ingildsen (FLA) 4-5, unfinished
2. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski/Alexander Ritschard (VA) def. Maxx Lipman/Elliott Orkin (FLA) 6-4
3. Collin Altamirano/J.C. Aragone (VA) def. Josh Wardell/Chase Perez-Blanco (FLA) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,3,5)
T-2:10